Attacks on CPC and Kazakhstan’s Oil Exports

Seven drones carrying explosives and metal fragments attacked CPC’s Kropotkinskaya pumping station in Russia’s Krasnodar region. CPC reported serious damage and took the station out of operation, although the pipeline continued working through a bypass. The facility was the largest CPC pumping station on Russian territory. (Reuters)

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that its forces had struck Kropotkinskaya. Russian officials said pipeline flows had fallen, while Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said there were no restrictions on accepting Kazakh crude and that exports remained stable. (The Times of Central Asia)

Kazakhstan said it would raise the strike with Ukraine and seek assurances against a repeat. First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmetullin said Kazakhstan would raise the strike with Ukraine and seek a diplomatic solution to prevent a recurrence. (Kursiv)

Kazakhstan said CPC exports were continuing according to schedule despite the damage. Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said crude was bypassing Kropotkinskaya and that storage capacity remained sufficient. Repairs were expected to take about two months. (Reuters)

Russian officials said another drone attack was attempted against Kropotkinskaya while repairs from the February strike were continuing. Air defences reportedly intercepted the drone, and no further damage to the station was confirmed. (The Times of Central Asia)

CPC returned Kropotkinskaya to normal pumping operations after more than three months of repairs. The consortium said the station had first restarted in a technical pumping mode before resuming regular work. It was not receiving crude from the damaged Kavkazskaya depot. (Interfax)

A Ukrainian drone attack on Novorossiysk damaged CPC’s city office and injured two employees. Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said the transport and loading of Kazakh oil continued according to schedule. (The Times of Central Asia)

CPC briefly suspended loadings after an overnight drone attack damaged another company office. Operations resumed once the air-raid alert ended. The November export programme was already running behind schedule because of repeated security stoppages and poor weather. (Reuters)

A Ukrainian naval drone strike seriously damaged SPM-2, one of the three offshore moorings used to load CPC crude. CPC halted operations and withdrew tankers from the terminal area. SPM-3 was already undergoing maintenance, leaving the terminal without its normal loading capacity. (Reuters)

Kazakhstan told Ukraine to stop attacking CPC facilities and described the terminal as civilian infrastructure protected by international law. The Foreign Ministry warned that repeated strikes were harming Kazakhstan’s economic interests and bilateral relations with Kyiv. (The Times of Central Asia)

CPC resumed shipments through SPM-1. Chevron said Tengizchevroil cargoes were continuing to load, but the loss of SPM-2 and maintenance at SPM-3 sharply reduced available capacity. Ukraine said its operations were directed against Russian aggression and not against Kazakhstan or other third countries. (Reuters)

December CPC Blend loadings were revised down by about one-third, from a planned 1.7 million barrels per day to around 1.14 million. The decline reflected mooring damage, bad weather, cargo cancellations, and limited terminal capacity. (Reuters)

Kazakhstan’s oil and gas condensate output fell by about 6% from the November average. Tengiz production dropped by roughly 10%, while CPC Blend exports were running about 19% lower. (Reuters)

Drones struck the tankers Delta Harmony and Matilda as they travelled toward the CPC terminal to load Kazakh crude. Delta Harmony had been chartered by Chevron, while Matilda was due to load Karachaganak oil. The vessels remained afloat, and their crews were reported safe. (The Times of Central Asia)

Kazakhstan called on the United States and European governments to help protect international oil transport. Its Foreign Ministry said the increasing frequency of attacks posed a growing threat to civilian energy infrastructure and global supply routes. (Reuters)

Kazakhstan said it had diverted about 300,000 tonnes of crude during December because of CPC restrictions. Additional volumes were sent toward China, Germany, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, although these alternatives could handle only a small part of normal CPC exports. (The Times of Central Asia)

CPC restrictions led operators to redirect some Kashagan crude to Kazakhstan’s domestic market, including the Shymkent refinery. The diversion was unusual for a field developed primarily to serve export markets.(Reuters)

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, disclosed that the State Department had delivered a formal démarche after a Ukrainian attack on Novorossiysk affected American and Kazakh economic interests. She said the warning concerned damage to U.S.-linked interests and did not ask Ukraine to stop attacking Russian military or energy infrastructure more broadly. (Reuters)

The Greek-flagged tanker Maran Homer was hit by an unidentified object while waiting outside Russian territorial waters to enter the CPC terminal. It was due to load Kazakh crude. The crew was safe, and the operator reported minor damage to deck equipment. (Reuters)

CPC loadings rose sharply as Tengiz production recovered and terminal operations stabilised. March exports reached about 1.58 million barrels per day, up 48% from February. The rebound showed how quickly volumes could recover when field and terminal constraints eased. (Reuters)

The Chevron-chartered Yasa Polaris was struck by a drone near the CPC terminal while empty and waiting offshore. Its crew was safe, and the operator reported no pollution or major hull damage. Chevron said Kazakh exports were not affected. (Reuters)

Nordic Zenith was struck while empty and approaching the terminal. A fire was extinguished, and CPC vessels evacuated 13 crew members. The tanker was removed from the loading schedule. (The Times of Central Asia)

ASIA and NISSOS IOS were attacked while loading Kazakhstan-produced crude at CPC’s offshore moorings. ASIA was taking Tengizchevroil oil, while NISSOS IOS was loading crude associated with Kashagan and Maten. A fire aboard ASIA was extinguished, and no oil spill was reported. CPC briefly suspended loadings before resuming them that evening. (The Times of Central Asia)

A drone struck NELSA while it was loading at SPM-1. Fires broke out on deck and inside several compartments. Most of the crew were evacuated, and no spill was reported. CPC suspended loadings and described both the July 19 incidents and the strike on NELSA as terrorist attacks, without publicly identifying a perpetrator. (CPC)

Reuters reported that CPC had stopped receiving oil from Kazakhstan after terminal storage tanks filled. Several tankers scheduled to load crude changed course. CPC did not publicly confirm the intake halt.
The Trump administration also urged Kyiv to curb attacks on non-Russian vessels serving CPC. The warning followed the formal State Department démarche disclosed in February. (The Times of Central Asia)

Kazakhstan’s oil and gas condensate output fell to 1.63 million barrels per day from a July average of 2.07 million. Tengiz production dropped by 56%, from about 925,000 barrels per day to 406,000, as producers reduced output to prevent their storage tanks from filling.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Kazakhstan, Victor Mayko, said there was no evidence that Ukraine had carried out the July 17 and 19 attacks. He said Kazakhstan’s infrastructure and economic interests were not Ukrainian military targets. (The Times of Central Asia)

HERA was damaged and caught fire while approaching the terminal to load Lukoil crude. ALATAU turned away after encountering unmanned surface vessels, while SEA AMBER and DELTA IOS also altered course toward Turkey.
Representative Bill Huizenga, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, told The Times of Central Asia that Ukraine had an obligation to avoid legitimate allied energy exports and infrastructure. “Further strikes will not be tolerated,” he said. (The Times of Central Asia)

No restart had been announced by early July 24. Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said consultations were continuing with CPC, oil producers, shipowners, and state agencies as they sought to restore stable exports. The latest confirmed production figures remained those recorded on July 22. (The Times of Central Asia)