Caspian Pipeline Halts Operations Again After Drone Strikes Hit Tankers at Russian Port.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) has suspended operations following Ukrainian drone strikes on two oil tankers at the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, the pipeline operator confirmed early today.
The drone attack sparked a fire on one of the loading tankers, marking the third shutdown of the critical energy route in a single month.
In immediate response, five tankers bound for Novorossiysk altered their routes toward Turkey and Spain or updated their navigation status to "for orders."
The disruption arrives just days after the 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) pipeline resumed operations following a previous drone strike.
The earlier suspension lasted a week, severely crippling Kazakhstan’s crude exports and forcing domestic producers to slash output.
Industry data shows Kazakhstan’s oil and gas condensate production plummeted to approximately 1 million barrels per day (bpd) on Sunday, down significantly from its June average of 2.16 million bpd.
The CPC pipeline is Kazakhstan’s primary energy artery, transporting crude from the massive Tengiz oilfield across southern Russia to the Black Sea coast. It handles more than 80 percent of the Central Asian nation's total oil exports.
International energy giants, including Chevron and ExxonMobil, rely heavily on the conduit to transport Tengiz crude to global markets.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, with CPC assets frequently caught in the crosshairs.
The recurring halts at Novorossiysk temporarily remove more than 1 million bpd of Kazakh crude from global circulation.
The latest shutdown heightens vulnerability in global energy markets already strained by ongoing maritime disruptions across the Persian Gulf and Red Sea shipping corridors.