On May 23, 2025, following extensive restoration work, the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station (OPS) of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) was brought back into regular operation. The announcement was made by CPC, according to Forbes.kz.
During the repair process, transformers, a gas turbine unit with generators, a closed switchgear, and cable trestles were restored. Additionally, control cabinets were replaced and repaired, the CPC press service reported.
On February 17, 2025, according to Russian authorities, the station was attacked by seven unmanned aerial vehicles, allegedly operated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result, Kropotkinskaya OPS sustained severe damage and was taken out of service. During this period, the volume of Kazakh oil being pumped was reduced by 30–40%. Since then, oil transportation along the Tengiz–Novorossiysk route has been carried out via an emergency bypass scheme.
The facility was reportedly targeted again on March 19 and 24. In April, CPC head Nikolay Gorban stated that the station would not be back online before May 20. Consortium shareholders had earlier estimated a two-month recovery timeline.
The incidents sparked a strong response. Kazakh MP Nikita Shatalov stated that "Kazakhstan must hold the Ukrainian side accountable for the losses and the aggression." He added that those responsible for the decision to strike international consortium infrastructure "must be punished for this crime."
The CPC pipeline system transports more than two-thirds of Kazakhstan’s oil exports, as well as crude from Russian fields, including those in the Caspian region.
Kropotkinskaya OPS, located in the Kavkazsky District of Russia’s Krasnodar Territory, is the largest CPC pumping station in the country.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
May 23, 2025