Drone Attack Targets Tanker Loading Tengizchevroil Oil in the Black Sea

A drone targeted the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Nissos Sifnos while it was loading Tengizchevroil crude oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in the Black Sea. Oil loading operations at the terminal were halted following the incident.

The strike occurred at 03:48 Kazakhstan time on July 30. The drone struck the cargo deck area containing the oil intake equipment, causing a fire to break out on board.

The tanker’s crew, assisted by three CPC support vessels, successfully extinguished the blaze. No casualties were reported, and no oil spilled into the sea. Evacuation or medical assistance for the crew members was not required.

The vessel remains afloat, and damage assessments are currently underway. While oil loading has been suspended, all other facilities along the CPC pipeline continue to operate as normal.

In addition, another drone attack targeted the tanker Marathi as it was heading to receive oil approximately six nautical miles from the marine terminal.

The CPC pipeline serves as the primary export route for Kazakh crude oil, handling more than 80 percent of the country's oil exports to international markets.