Kazakhstan’s main maritime outlet for crude oil in the Black Sea is operating with limitations, after drone attacks and technical problems forced it to reduce the pace of oil tanker loading.
The drop is reflected in the February program, with fewer ships planned and restrictions that mainly affect loading on larger ships. The constraints result from a combination of security incidents and unavailability in critical infrastructure for mooring and transferring crude, in a context in which bad weather has also hampered operations and replacement work. The situation increases pressure on an essential route for the flow of Kazakh oil, which heavily depends on this corridor to reach international markets. On the production side, additional disruptions at facilities linked to the country’s largest oil field added uncertainty to supply and logistics planning.
Altogether, the succession of failures and security risks once again highlights the vulnerability of the Black Sea corridor, with a potential impact on delivery times, ship availability and transport and insurance costs.
Photo: Jonathan Boonzaier
