On July 19, during loading operations at the offshore mooring facilities VPU-1 and VPU-3 of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's Marine Terminal, two oil tankers were attacked by drones, reports infohub.kz.
According to CPC, the targeted tankers were the ASIA, carrying oil from Tengizchevroil (Chevron), and the NISSOS IOS, carrying oil from Kashagan B.V. and Maten (KazMunayGas). The vessels sail under the flags of Liberia and the Marshall Islands, respectively, and have international crews.
The attack caused a fire on the ASIA tanker. The fire was extinguished with the help of CPC emergency response teams. Loading operations were halted.
CPC reported no injuries among company employees, contractors, or crew members. There was no oil spill, and no medical assistance was requested. Both tankers remain afloat, and specialists are assessing the damage.
The consortium stated it regards the incident as an attack on civilian CPC facilities and vessels in the marine terminal area. According to CPC, this is the fifth direct attack on its facilities, which are purely civilian in nature and protected under international law.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium brings together major energy companies from Russia, the United States, Kazakhstan, and several European countries.
CPC transports oil from Kazakhstan's largest fields — Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak. In 2025, the system handled about 70.5 million tons of oil, with over 75% of that volume from foreign shippers, including Tengizchevroil (Chevron), ExxonMobil, KazMunayGas, Eni, and Shell.