After a brief pause following drone assaults, two major oil export terminals on Russia’s Black Sea coast have resumed crude oil loadings. The interruptions were precautionary, triggered by attacks earlier this week, but authorities now indicate that operations are back under way, reports gCaptain.
Facilities Back in Operation
The terminals belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) and Transneft’s Sheskharis facility, both located near Novorossiysk, had suspended loading operations in response to drone alerts. The stoppage, though temporary, came amid rising tension and repeated aerial and maritime drone strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure.
Sources familiar with the situation report that tankers began departing the ports once the threat level eased. The Regal I, a million-barrel crude tanker moored in Novorossiysk, sailed Thursday morning, showing a full load draft. Similarly, an Aframax vessel named Navigator Ridge appears to have departed, though its draft status is currently unconfirmed.
Damage, Disruptions, and Safety Measures
During the attacks, sirens were activated across Novorossiysk and authorities warned of imminent drone strikes. Local offices of CPC sustained structural damage; two employees were reported injured. The company temporarily suspended operations within its offices, instructing staff to work remotely. There’s also concern about the environmental consequences of such strikes, with CPC noting that such disruptions can have “large-scale environmental consequences” and can interrupt vital export flows.
Although officials say loadings resume “when drone alerts are lifted,” they have not fully confirmed whether all operations have returned to normal levels. Transneft, which operates the Sheskharis terminal, has not yet publicly commented.
Strategic and Market Implications
These Black Sea export terminals are crucial to Russian and Kazakh oil flows. Together, CPC and Sheskharis facilities handle more than 2 million barrels per day in global exports, making them key nodes in the international energy supply chain.
The resumption of operations signals Moscow’s efforts to keep its oil exports flowing despite escalating attacks. For Ukraine, new strikes on energy infrastructure aim to choke off Russian oil revenue and reduce military fueling capacity.
Meanwhile, loadings at Tuapse, another coastal terminal about 170 km from Novorossiysk, also appear ongoing. That terminal sustained its own attack on Wednesday, reportedly targeting its pier. Even so, oil-product shipments continue there, suggesting cautious resilience in the face of disruption.
Global markets are watching such developments closely: any sustained disruption to Russian exports can ripple into oil prices, supply stability, and strategic energy security calculations for many nations.
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Source: gCaptain
