CPC restores marine terminal, Kazakh oil exports rise 22% in August

September 14, 2026 at 05:00 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) commissioned a new single point mooring unit, VPU-2, at its marine terminal near Novorossiysk, restoring full loading capacity. The terminal's August throughput rose 22% month-on-month to 6.288 million tonnes, driven by a 25% increase in Kazakh crude shipments. The recovery follows damage to the previous VPU-2 in a November 2025 drone boat attack.

Key Facts

CPC commissioned VPU-2 at its marine terminal near Novorossiysk after successful hydrotests, with the tanker Aegean Dream loading the first 127,000 tonnes of CPC Blend from Tengizchevroil.
August CPC pipeline exports rose 22% month-on-month to 6.288 million tonnes, about 1.6 million barrels per day.
Kazakh crude shipments via CPC increased 25% to 5.7 million tonnes in August, while Russian oil exports through the line fell slightly to 0.55 million tonnes.
CPC's January–August throughput totaled 44.8 million tonnes, about 8% below the record 48.9 million tonnes in the same period of 2025.
The previous VPU-2 was damaged in a drone boat attack in late November 2025, temporarily reducing loading capacity.

VPU-2 Commissioning

CPC commissioned a new single point mooring unit, VPU-2, at its marine terminal in Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka near Novorossiysk. The unit passed comprehensive hydrotests and began operations, with the tanker Aegean Dream loading the first 127,000 tonnes of CPC Blend crude from Tengizchevroil. CPC General Director Nikolay Gorban said the installation and launch was the first time domestic companies had implemented mounting, adjustment, and commissioning of a single point mooring unit. The new VPU was built at the Drydocks World Dubai shipyard to meet the requirements of all shareholders, including Kazakhstan, Chevron, Exxon, and Transneft. It features a closed slewing mechanism, individual floats replacing outdated buoyancy tanks, and an autonomous sonar on the subsea manifold that transmits wave and current data to dispatchers in real time.

Export Recovery

With VPU-2 operational, CPC restored its full design loading scheme, bringing three berths back into simultaneous service. August exports through the CPC system rose 22% month-on-month to 6.288 million tonnes, equivalent to about 1.6 million barrels per day, according to Reuters industry sources. Kazakh crude shipments drove the increase, rising 25% from 4.6 million tonnes in July to 5.7 million tonnes in August. Russian oil exports through the pipeline declined slightly to 0.55 million tonnes in August. CPC's cumulative throughput for January–August reached 44.8 million tonnes, about 8% below the 48.9 million tonnes recorded in the same period of 2025.

Infrastructure Damage and Outlook

The previous VPU-2 was damaged in a drone boat attack in late November 2025. At that time, VPU-3 was undergoing scheduled maintenance, leaving only one berth operational and creating risks for exporters. July throughput was affected by periodic stoppages due to security threats in the Novorossiysk waters. Analysts forecast a brief reduction in daily loadings to 1.5 million barrels in September due to planned maintenance at Karachaganak. The commissioning of VPU-2 ensures stability for Kazakhstan's main export route during the autumn storm season.