Drone Attack Ignites Fire at Novorossiysk Oil Terminal

A drone attack triggered a fire at Novorossiysk Fuel Oil Terminal, causing oil export interruptions. A storage tank with a 37,000 cubic metre capacity caught fire, and falling debris affected nearby areas. These attacks have led to tanker shortages and delays in oil shipments.

A fuel storage tank at the Novorossiysk Fuel Oil Terminal was set ablaze following a prolonged overnight drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port city. Two industry sources reported the incident on Wednesday, noting that drone debris landed on business premises and near residential areas, according to a statement by Mayor Andrei Kravchenko on Telegram.

The Novorossiysk Fuel Oil Terminal has yet to comment on the fire or its ramifications. Sources revealed that the fire started in a tank containing approximately 37,000 cubic metres of oil products. Recent months have seen increased disruptions in oil exports from Novorossiysk due to consistent drone attacks attributed to Ukrainian forces, intensifying tanker shortages and causing loading delays.

The terminal's extensive facilities can manage up to 5 million metric tons of oil products annually, averaging 400,000 to 450,000 tons monthly. Its website details that the terminal can store various oil products in facilities with a total capacity of 119,000 cubic metres. Tankers are loaded via two dedicated berths accommodating vessels up to 60,000 tons of deadweight.