The marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in Novorossiysk has suspended oil loading following a morning attack by Ukrainian unmanned boats that occurred on November 29. The strike caused significant damage to the offshore mooring device VPU-2, which is currently unusable.
This is reported by Finway
Operations Halted and Consequences of the Attack
According to information from the CPC press service, for safety reasons and under the directive of the captain of the Novorossiysk sea port, all cargo and other operations at the terminal have been suspended, and tankers have been moved outside the CPC’s water area. There are no casualties among the consortium’s personnel or contractors.
“Under the directive issued by the captain of the Novorossiysk sea port, cargo operations and other operations were halted, and tankers were moved outside the CPC’s water area. There are no casualties among CPC personnel or contractors”
The company noted that the attack occurred at 04:06 Moscow time. At the moment of the explosion, the emergency protection system was activated, automatically shutting off the relevant pipelines. Preliminary estimates indicate that this helped prevent an oil spill into the Black Sea.
Environmental Monitoring and Investigation Ongoing
Currently, CPC is conducting environmental monitoring, taking samples of seawater, and implementing the Oil Spill Localization and Liquidation Plan (OSLLP). At the end of September, the CPC office in Novorossiysk had already sustained damage from a drone strike, and on November 25, the administrative building of the marine terminal was affected.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium unites leading companies in the fuel and energy sector from Russia, the USA, Kazakhstan, and Western European countries. Established in 1992, the consortium facilitates the transportation of oil from major fields such as Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak. The main pipeline, over 1,500 kilometers long, connects the fields of Western Kazakhstan to the marine terminal in Novorossiysk and is a key export route for the region.
According to CPC, in 2024, the volume of oil transshipment amounted to approximately 63 million tons, of which about 74% was accounted for by foreign shippers, including Tengizchevroil (Chevron), ExxonMobil, KazMunayGas, Eni, and Shell.