Moscow (Eurotoday) – An overnight Ukrainian drone attack has suspended operations at a major oil pumping station in southern Russia, disrupting the flow of oil from Kazakhstan’s three largest western-led oil projects – Kashagan, Tengiz, and Karachaganak – to foreign markets, including Europe.
What did the pipeline’s operator say?
In a statement, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium said:
“The strike on the Kropotkinskaya facility has been carried out by seven unmanned aerial vehicles that were filled with metal striking elements in addition to explosives.”
A spokesperson from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, Andriy Kovalenko, confirmed the attack on the pumping station, as well as another oil facility in the area, the Ilsky refinery. However, Kazakhstan’s energy ministry stated that the Caspian Pipeline’s entry points within Kazakhstan continue to receive oil from the country’s oil producers without restrictions.
The pipeline operator stated that drones struck the pumping facility at different intervals, indicating that the attack likely aimed not only to disrupt operations but also to cause casualties.
“There have been no casualties among the personnel of the station. The employees [on the site] have prevented the threat of a potential oil spill.”
Following the attack, operations at the Kropotkinskaya facility were suspended. However, the flow of crude oil through the pipeline was not completely halted. The operator confirmed that incoming oil is being redirected to a nearby pumping station along the pipeline, bypassing the affected facility but operating at a reduced capacity.
What is the significance of the Caspian Pipeline?
The Caspian Pipeline transports oil from Kazakhstan’s Atyrau oil region through Russia’s Krasnodar region, ending at a tanker loading terminal near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
This pipeline accounts for an estimated 1% of the global oil supply. In 2023, it transported approximately 1.17 million barrels per day of light and sweet oil from Kazakhstan, along with around 200,000 barrels per day of similar Russian oil. The system has a maximum capacity of approximately 1.6 million barrels per day.
Eurotoday is a daily online newspaper providing independent coverage of international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, Eurotoday reports on EU policies, key developments in EU member states, and global issues with a European outlook.
Leave a Reply