Two incidents involving tankers engaged in the transportation of Kazakhstan’s export oil occurred on January 13 in the Black Sea near the offshore terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. The information was officially confirmed by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, DKNews.kz reports.
According to the ministry, there was no threat to the lives of the crews, and no risks to Kazakhstan’s oil export supplies have been identified at this stage.
The Ministry of Energy reported that two vessels - Matilda and Delta Harmony - were targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The first tanker, Matilda, sailing under the flag of Malta and chartered by a subsidiary of KazMunayGas, sustained damage as a result of an explosion. However, no fire followed the blast. The key point is that none of the crew members were injured. According to a preliminary assessment by technical specialists, the vessel remains seaworthy, and no critical damage to the hull has been detected.
The second vessel, Delta Harmony, operating under the flag of Liberia, was attacked while waiting to load cargo. The incident resulted in a fire, which was promptly contained and extinguished.
There were no casualties. Importantly, at the time of the incident, oil loading had not yet begun and the cargo tanks were empty. This means that Kazakhstan’s export oil resources were not affected.
The Ministry of Energy stated that the situation remains under constant monitoring. The ministry is coordinating its actions in real time with the national operator, the consortium’s administration and the vessel owners.
The main priority is to ensure the safety of logistics chains and the uninterrupted export of Kazakh oil despite increased risks in the Black Sea region.
Against the backdrop of a growing number of drone-related incidents, this case once again highlights concerns over the security of maritime navigation and energy infrastructure in the region. However, the Ministry of Energy emphasized that there are currently no grounds to expect disruptions to Kazakhstan’s oil exports.
