A Ukrainian sea drone attacked the multipurpose support vessel Nefrit, which, according to Bloomberg, was involved in repair work at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal in the Black Sea. This terminal plays a key role in the export of Kazakh oil, reports infohub.kz.
As a source familiar with the situation told Bloomberg, the Nefrit had almost completed work on one of the offshore mooring units and was due to start replacing equipment on another. After the attack, the timeline for the planned work is now in question, creating uncertainty about CPC's further oil loading operations.
When asked by Bloomberg whether the vessel had been working at the consortium's marine terminal, CPC declined to comment on the activities of its contractors.
Ukraine's Navy said that on September 3, a sea drone attacked the Nefrit in the area of the Russian port of Sochi. According to the Ukrainian side, a powerful explosion occurred near the vessel and smoke was detected.
The Ukrainian Navy described the Nefrit as a vessel involved in oil and gas operations, maintenance of offshore facilities, cargo and personnel transportation, as well as underwater technical work. The Ukrainian side stated that the vessel's activities supported the Russian economy and the financing of the war.
CPC operations have repeatedly been affected by attacks in the Black Sea in recent months. According to Bloomberg, a series of strikes on tankers heading to the terminal had previously led to a noticeable reduction in oil exports and could affect production volumes in Kazakhstan in 2026.
More than two-thirds of Kazakhstan's exported oil is transported through the CPC pipeline system. The consortium's marine terminal is equipped with three offshore mooring units that allow tankers to be loaded away from the shore. Typically, two units are used for loading, with a third serving as a backup.
One of the mooring units was damaged in an attack in November 2025. According to Bloomberg, it was replaced in 2026 and was undergoing testing. At the end of August, Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry expected all three CPC mooring units to be operational in September.
Earlier, in response to a request from Kursiv, CPC said that the consortium planned to replace two offshore mooring units, CPC-1 and CPC-2, which had been in operation since 2001, in 2026.
To install them, 12 new anchor caissons were prepared at the marine terminal back in 2025. They were delivered to Novorossiysk on three specialized vessels and installed on the seabed at depths of up to 60 meters.
Each such anchor is a steel structure measuring 30 by 10 by 7 meters. After concreting, the mass of the caisson increases from approximately 200 to 400 tons. For their installation, an assembly barge with a crane with a lifting capacity of 1,350 tons, a support vessel, divers, and a remotely operated underwater vehicle were used.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Ukraine, after negotiations with US representatives, had committed to not striking CPC infrastructure or tankers heading to its terminal, provided they are not linked to Russia, are not under Ukrainian sanctions, and do not carry Russian oil. Prior to that, consortium facilities and vessels carrying Kazakh oil had been repeatedly attacked, causing CPC to temporarily suspend oil reception and loading.