Brent Spikes 2% - Drone Strikes on Black Sea Oil Tankers Rattle Energy Markets
Unidentified drones struck Greek-managed oil tankers near Russia’s Novorossiysk Black Sea terminal on January 13, disrupting critical Kazakh and Russian crude exports and sending oil prices sharply higher amid rising regional tensions.
Novorossiysk, Russia / Black Sea Region | January 13, 2026 - Unidentified drones targeted two to three Greek-managed oil tankers near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal off Russia’s Novorossiysk coast on January 13, in a stark escalation of the ongoing conflict reverberating through global energy markets.
The vessels—including the Delta Harmony, Delta Supreme, and Matilda—were en route to load crude when the strikes hit, causing minor damage such as a contained fire aboard one ship. No injuries were reported among the crews. The CPC terminal, a critical export hub handling about 2% of the world’s daily oil supply, predominantly Kazakh crude alongside some Russian volumes, was already the target of a November 2025 drone attack that damaged terminal infrastructure.
Sources attribute the latest strikes to Ukrainian forces, marking a continuation of efforts to disrupt Russian and allied oil exports amid the wider conflict.
The immediate market fallout was swift. Brent crude futures surged nearly 1.9% to $65.13 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbed 2.1% to $60.75. The attacks have intensified geopolitical risk perceptions, pushing Black Sea war insurance premiums to roughly 1% of a ship’s value—the highest level since 2023—as shippers brace for greater uncertainty and operational hazards.
Compounding the disruption, Kazakhstan’s oil output plunged approximately 35% in early January, weighed down not only by these security challenges but also adverse weather and maintenance delays impacting key producers such as Chevron and ExxonMobil. These disruptions threaten to tighten supply chains further, just as U.S. tariffs on Iranian oil buyers add separate upward pressure on prices.
In the complex calculus of global energy flows, the Black Sea tanker strikes stand out as the primary catalyst driving the current surge in crude prices, underscoring the precariousness of vital export corridors in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.
