[German]Oiltanking, a German company belonging to the Hamburg-based Marquard & Bahls group, has been the victim of a cyberattack. In addition, the IT of the mineral oil trader Mabanaft, which belongs to the same group, is also said to have been affected. As a result, a critical infrastructure (CRITIS) has been paralyzed, as Oiltanking's fuel loading systems are shut down. The German Shell fuel service station chain is also affected.
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Initial information came from German news paper Handelsblatt, which reported it in this article (paywall). Subsequent (German) tweets indicate the incident.
Meanwhile, Spiegel Online reports here, that 13 tank farms in Germany have been affected by this cyber attack (my guess is ransomware). Loading no longer works there. Among the customers is probably the major Shell corporation, which may no longer be able to supply its gas stations.
Shell's official statement to Handelsblatt reads, "Possible effects on our supply chains can be compensated for at the present time via alternative loading points." There is also unlikely to be a complete loss of fuel supply in Germany, as there are 26 companies operating in this market.
Business partners of Oiltanking were informed in a statement that technicians are working to solve the IT problem according to internal emergency plans. Specialists are searching for the cause, it said. Below is the statement of the company:
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On Saturday, January 29th 2022, Oiltanking GmbH Group and Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG (Mabanaft) Group discovered we have been the victim of a cyber incident affecting our IT systems. Upon learning of the incident, we immediately took steps to enhance the security of our systems and processes and launched an investigation into the matter. We are working to solve this issue according to our contingency plans, as well as to understand the full scope of the incident. We are undertaking a thorough investigation, together with external specialists and are collaborating closely with the relevant authorities. All terminals continue to operate safely.
Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, an operating unit within the Mabanaft Group, operates all terminals in Germany and is not part of the Oiltanking GmbH Group.
Oiltanking GmbH Group continues to operate all terminals in all global markets. Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG terminals are operating with limited capacity and have declared force majeure. Mabanaft Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG has also declared force majeure for the majority of its inland supply activities in Germany. All parties continue to work to restore operations to normal in all our terminals as soon as possible.
Marquard & Bahls, Oiltanking, Mabnaft
Marquard & Bahls is a Hamburg-based company active in the energy and chemicals sectors. Its core businesses include tank storage logistics, trading and aviation fuelling.
Mabanaft is the trading organization of Marquard & Bahls. The business comprises regional trading and the wholesale of petroleum products. In addition, the company is active in bunker services, service station and heating oil end-consumer business, as well as trading in liquefied petroleum gas, biofuels and biofuels. Annual sales volume is approximately 18.1 million tons (as of December 2020).
Oiltanking is one of the world's largest independent providers of tank terminals for petroleum products, chemicals and gases. The company owns and operates 64 tank terminals in 24 countries with a total capacity of 20 million cubic meters (as of December 2020). In 2019, total throughput was around 155 million tons.
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