Key Facts
• On January 13, two oil tankers were attacked by drones in the Black Sea.
• The tankers were heading to the Novorossiysk crude oil terminal in southern Russia.
• One tanker was chartered by U.S. oil major Chevron.
• Chevron reported no damage to crew or vessels.
• The tankers were bound for the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, handling about 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude exports.
• The terminal is operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).
• The CPC terminal also serves as a loading point for Russian crude oil.
• Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry confirmed attacks on the tankers Matilda and Delta Harmony.
• CPC has not commented on the drone attacks.
• The attacker’s identity remains unknown; Ukraine has not commented.
• The Caspian Pipeline is approximately 1,500 kilometers long.
• Major CPC shareholders include Kazakhstan’s KazMunayGas, Russia’s Lukoil, Chevron, and ExxonMobil affiliates.
Summary
On January 13, two oil tankers en route to the Novorossiysk crude oil terminal in southern Russia were targeted by drone attacks in the Black Sea. One tanker was chartered by Chevron, which confirmed no harm to crew or vessels. The tankers were heading to the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, a key export hub handling about 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude oil exports and operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). This terminal also functions as a loading point for Russian crude. Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry verified the attacks on the Matilda and Delta Harmony tankers. The CPC has yet to comment, and the responsible party remains unidentified, with Ukraine not issuing any statement. The Caspian Pipeline spans roughly 1,500 kilometers and is jointly owned by KazMunayGas, Lukoil, Chevron, and ExxonMobil affiliates.
