Drones struck two oil tankers in the Black Sea on Tuesday, one of which was chartered by U.S. oil major Chevron, the companies involved confirmed. Both vessels were heading to the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, a key hub handling around 80% of Kazakh oil exports and some Russian crude.
“All crew are safe, and the vessel remains stable. It is proceeding to a safe port, and we are coordinating with the ship operator and relevant authorities,” Chevron said regarding its tanker.
The strikes follow disruptions to Kazakh oil output earlier in January, when winter storms and damage from a prior Ukrainian drone attack slowed shipments through Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure to pressure Moscow, but it is not clear who carried out Tuesday’s attacks.
Kazakh oil output hit by export constraints
Oil and gas production in Kazakhstan fell 35% between January 1 and 12 compared with December, mainly due to reduced exports through the terminal, a source familiar with the data told Reuters. The Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal itself was previously hit by a Ukrainian drone on November 29.
The vessels targeted included Delta Harmony, managed by Greece’s Delta Tankers and carrying Kazakh oil from Tengizchevroil, and Matilda, chartered by a KazMunayGas subsidiary and managed by Greece’s Thenamaris, which was struck by two drones 30 miles off CPC’s moorings. Both ships sustained minor damage, and all crew were unharmed.
“There were no injuries and the ship suffered minor damage to deck structures according to an initial assessment, which is fully repairable. The ship, seaworthy as it is, is now sailing away from the area,” a Thenamaris official said.
War insurance costs for vessels navigating the Black Sea nearly doubled on Tuesday following the attacks. Russian Black Sea terminals handle more than 2% of global crude and are also key for grain shipments, making the region critical for international trade.
