Photo from cpc.ru
The oil tanker Nordic Zenith, en route to load oil at the Black Sea marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), was attacked on the night of July 17. A CPC representative confirmed the incident to RIA Novosti.
According to the consortium, the attack caused a fire to break out on board.
«We confirm that the tanker was scheduled to arrive at the CPC terminal for loading. Following a double attack, a fire broke out on the vessel, and a distress signal was sent. Thirteen crew members were evacuated by CPC vessels, while nine others remained on board voluntarily,» the company said.
The crew managed to extinguish the fire. However, the attack left the tanker unfit for oil loading at the terminal. According to MarineTraffic, the Nordic Zenith sails under the flag of Liberia.
This is not the first attack on tankers carrying Kazakh oil through the Black Sea. In January, drones damaged two vessels — one chartered by the American company Chevron, and the other by a subsidiary of KazMunayGas. In early July, the tanker Yasa Polaris, also chartered by Chevron and heading to the CPC marine terminal, was struck by a UAV as well. It later emerged that the vessel did not sustain significant damage.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium operates the largest route for transporting oil from the Caspian region to global markets, carrying more than 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports. The roughly 1,500-kilometer pipeline connects oil fields in western Kazakhstan to a marine terminal on the Black Sea coast, where oil is loaded onto tankers. CPC shareholders include Russia (31%), Kazakhstan (20.75%), Chevron (15%), and several private companies.
