Oil Depot On Fire, Exports Suspended & 3 Crew Injured After Ukraine Attacks Novorossiysk Port

Global oil prices rose by more than two per cent over fears of supply after a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

The port, which handles 2.2 million barrels every day, stopped oil exports temporarily, as it suffered from one of the biggest attacks on Moscow’s oil-exporting infrastructure.

Russian pipeline oil monopoly Transneft also suspended supplies to the port of Novorossiysk.

Additionally, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium that exports oil from Kazakhstan via neighbouring Yuzhnaya Ozereevka Terminal also suspended oil loadings for some hours. They resumed when the alert was lifted, per sources.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said that they also launched long-range “Long Neptune” cruise missiles at targets in Russia overnight.

The drone debris fell on the Russian grain terminal NKHP and also a container facility, though operations resumed after some time.

A docked vessel, apartment buildings, and an oil depot also suffered from damage. A port crane was also damaged, and so were a few containers.

A container ship alongside the terminal was also affected, though no crew members were injured as they took shelter in a safe muster point within the ship.

Novorossiysk’s Shekharis Oil terminal is a key facility, handling approximately 761,000 barrels each day.

Per sources, the attack hit 2 oil berths at this terminal, inflicting damage to berth 1 and berth 1A, which handle 40,000 DWT and 140,000 DWT tankers, respectively.

An oil depot at the terminal was on fire, which was extinguished by local officials.

Per sources, a Sierra Leone-flagged oil tanker was also hit.

Over 170 people and 50 pieces of port equipment dealt with the aftermath of the attack, extinguishing the fire and helping the residents.

Three crew members of a ship suffered from injuries and are being treated in a local hospital.

A few coastal structures were also damaged, per sources, though more details are awaited.

Source: Maritime Shipping News