Kazakhstan to create anti-terrorist groups to protect Caspian oil facilities

Each group will have at least 10 members

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy has tightened requirements for organizing anti-terrorist protection of oil and gas facilities in the Caspian region, reports rg.ru.

Under the new rules, owners or operators of oil and gas facilities located in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea must provide space for the deployment of the maritime counter-terrorism operational headquarters near production sites upon request. All expenses will be borne by the operating organizations. The headquarters may also be located on mobile offshore platforms.

Mandatory requirements include: at least 10 personnel in each anti-terrorist group, the presence of a helipad, and a distance to production facilities of no more than 23 kilometers.

The order comes into force on October 17.

It should be recalled that UAVs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck two tankers near the Black Sea terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) on the night of July 30.

As a result of the attack on the vessel Nissos Sifnos under the flag of the Marshall Islands, a fire broke out on the cargo deck, which was extinguished by the crew and auxiliary vessels. At the time of the raid, the tanker was loading oil from Tengizchevroil at an offshore berth.

A second tanker, Marathi under the flag of the Isle of Man, was attacked in territorial waters six nautical miles from the terminal while en route for loading.

The fire on the first vessel was extinguished. No casualties or fatalities resulted from the drone attacks, and both ships remained afloat.

Following the incident, the consortium stated that the attack ignored appeals from Kazakhstan and other foreign CPC shareholders, including requests through the U.S. State Department, regarding the inadmissibility of forceful actions against international energy infrastructure.

The CPC warned that such strikes pose risks to global energy security, disrupt international energy trade, and damage the economic interests of Kazakhstan and Western shareholders, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Eni, Total, and Shell.

These were not the only UAV attacks targeting tankers carrying oil produced in Kazakhstan.

“We regard such attacks as unacceptable encroachments on the economic interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as deliberate actions aimed at destabilizing legitimate international trade and global energy markets, undermining the security of global transport and logistics supply chains,” Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared after the incidents.

Photo: rg.ru.

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