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Oiltanking customer Shell: "Impacts on our supply chains can currently be offset"
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Francis Joseph Dean/Dean Picture / imago images/Dean Pictures
The tank logistics company Oiltanking has been the victim of an attack by cybercriminals.
The company confirmed this to the "Handelsblatt" on Monday.
The attack also affected the mineral oil dealer Mabanaft, like Oiltanking, a subsidiary of the Hamburg group Marquard & Bahls.
According to the report, the company writes in a message to its business partners: "We are working to solve the problem according to our emergency plans." Specialists are looking for the cause.
Among other things, the loading and unloading of the tank farms is affected, the newspaper continues.
Since this is essentially automated and only possible to a limited extent manually, the tanker trucks cannot be loaded at the moment.
13 tank farms in Germany affected
In Germany, Oiltanking operates a total of 13 tank farms, customers include medium-sized companies, but also the large corporation Shell.
When asked by the "Handelsblatt" newspaper, this said: "Possible effects on our supply chains can currently be compensated for using alternative charging points."
According to information from the industry, however, there is no risk of a complete failure of the tank supply in Germany.
This is also due to the fact that a total of 26 companies are active on the market.
The managing director of the independent tank storage association, Frank Schaper, said: “The attack does not endanger the supply of fuel, heating or combustible fuels to the Federal Republic of Germany.” According to the newspaper, however, it is unclear what effects a prolonged bottleneck at Oiltanking would have.
German companies are repeatedly victims of cyber attacks.
Just a few days ago, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution warned of an increasing danger from attacks by Chinese hackers.
Sol