The stoppage at CPC’s Novorossiysk terminal now also threatens Black Sea grain flows, after the consortium said the tanker Nelsa was attacked and caught fire at mooring point No. 1.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium said it halted all crude loadings at its Novorossiysk Black Sea terminal after the tanker Nelsa was attacked and caught fire at mooring point No. 1 on July 20, describing the incident as a "terrorist attack." The disruption affects Kazakhstan’s main oil export route and now also raises concerns over wider Black Sea shipping, with Ukraine saying its grain export capacity has fallen by about one-third and wheat prices reaching a two-year high. Earlier CPC disclosures had said drones struck the tankers ASIA and NISSOS IOS during active loading operations on July 19, with ASIA catching fire but no injuries, fatalities or oil spills reported. The route carries about 1.58 million barrels per day and handles roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, making any prolonged interruption significant for regional export flows and broader supply expectations. The pipeline runs 940 miles from Kazakhstan’s Caspian oil fields, including Tengiz, to Russia’s Novorossiysk port, and alternative export routes cannot absorb the full volume.