According to the ministry, the tankers "Matilda" and "Delta Harmony" were in close proximity to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near Novorossiysk when the attack occurred. The tanker "Matilda," chartered by a subsidiary of "KazMunayGas," was sailing under the flag of Malta. An explosion occurred on board the vessel; however, no fire was recorded. All crew members remain unharmed, and a preliminary assessment showed that the tanker did not sustain critical damage and is capable of continuing its voyage.
As for "Delta Harmony," it was in standby mode for loading under the flag of Liberia. This vessel also experienced an incident involving a drone, which led to a fire, but it was quickly extinguished. The crew members were not injured, and since the loading of oil had not yet begun at the time of the attack, there was no damage to Kazakhstan's export resources.
Currently, the Ministry of Energy is actively collaborating with "KazMunayGas," the CPC administration, and shipowners to ensure the safety of logistics operations and the continuity of export supplies.
Earlier, on January 13, Reuters reported drone attacks on oil tankers in the Black Sea, citing its sources. At the same time, it was claimed that two other vessels—Delta Supreme and Freud—also fell victim to the attack, but this information has not yet been officially confirmed.
The CPC is the largest route for transporting oil from the Caspian region to international markets. The length of the main pipeline is 1,500 km, connecting the fields of Western Kazakhstan with the Russian Black Sea coast, where oil is loaded onto tankers through the CPC marine terminal.
In recent months, the volumes of supplies along this route have significantly decreased. The loading of raw materials has been repeatedly suspended due to adverse weather conditions, and the commissioning of the second offshore loading berth has been delayed after maintenance. Additionally, at the end of November, one of the berths was damaged by Ukrainian drones. Currently, the loading of Kazakh oil is carried out only through one operational berth, which poses risks for maintaining export volumes.
According to Bloomberg, Kazakhstan produces about 1.8 million barrels of oil per day in total. If the CPC does not operate fully, the republic will only be able to export half of this figure through alternative routes, which may lead to forced reductions in production at the fields.
