A cyber attack on a German oil storage and logistics firm has impacted Shell's oil supply chain in Germany, where it is rerouting supplies to alternative depots, the supermajor said on Tuesday.
Shell was able to "reroute to alternative supply depots for the time being," a spokesperson for Shell's German unit, Shell Deutschland GmbH, said in a statement on Tuesday as carried by Reuters.
A few days ago, oil supply and logistics firms Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH and oil trading firm Mabanaft, both of which are subsidiaries of Hamburg-based group Marquard & Bahls, were victims of a cyberattack that affected their IT systems.
The companies discovered on Saturday the cyber incident and launched an investigation into it with the help of external specialists, Oiltanking Deutschland and Mabanaft said in an emailed statement cited by The Associated Press.
Oiltanking GmbH Group continues to operate all terminals in all global markets, but the German operations of Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH were "operating with limited capacity."
The companies are working to restore operations to normal as soon as feasible, but in the meantime, the oil logistics and supply chain in Germany has been affected, including oil logistics at the local operations of supermajor Shell.
All systems of loading and unloading tanks operated by Oiltanking Deutschland in Germany are being paralyzed, German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday.
Oiltanking Deutschland is one of the largest independent providers of tank space for oils, chemicals, and gases worldwide, according to Handelsblatt. Oiltanking Deutschland has 11 tank farm locations in Germany.
The German unit of Mabanaft "has also declared force majeure for the majority of its inland supply activities in Germany," the statement from the firm cited by AP said. Mabanaft is an importer, wholesaler, and supplier of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, heating oil, and other petroleum products.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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