Kazakhstan urges US and Europe to help secure oil transport after Black Sea tanker attacks
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A Dec 10 image shows a Ukrainian sea drone approaching the Dashan - a tanker that is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" - in the Black Sea. Ukraine has not commented on the latest Black Sea tanker attacks.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Kazakhstan urges US and Europe to secure oil transport due to drone attacks on tankers heading to the CPC terminal.
- Unidentified drones struck at least two oil tankers en route to the Russian Black Sea terminal, impacting global oil supply.
- Increasing attacks on energy infrastructure pose risks, prompting Kazakhstan to request joint prevention measures with partners.
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MOSCOW - Kazakhstan on Jan 14 urged the US and Europe to help secure the transport of oil following drone attacks on tankers heading to a Black Sea terminal on the Russian coast which handles 1 per cent of global supply.
Unidentified drones struck at least two oil tankers in the Black Sea
Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that three tankers were hit en route to the marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Black Sea.
On Nov 29, drones also attacked CPC’s exporting equipment, resulting in a fall in oil exports via the outlet.
“The increasing frequency of such incidents highlights the growing risks to the functioning of international energy infrastructure,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We therefore call upon our partners to engage in close cooperation to develop joint measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future,” it added.
Russian defence ministry said on Jan 14 that the Matilda tanker, sailing under the Maltese flag, came under attack by two Ukrainian strike drones at a distance of about 100km from the city of Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Ukraine did not comment on the incident.
Shareholders in CPC’s 1,500km pipeline include Kazakhstan’s state-owned oil company KazMunayGas, Russia’s Lukoil and units of US oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil.
Russian terminals on the Black Sea handle more than 2 per cent of global crude. Its waters, which are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey, as well as Russia and Ukraine, are also crucial for the shipment of grain.
CPC alone accounts for around 80 per cent of oil exports from Kazakhstan. REUTERS
