Oil marketers are feeling the pinch of rising piracy attacks as ship owners charge higher premiums to sail to Mombasa.

"Shipping operators will face higher insurance premiums due to the increased risk of piracy in areas such as the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Africa," Petroleum Focus Consultants director George Wachira said.

Mr Wachira said that the piracy threat could discourage ship owners from sailing the Indian Ocean route, disrupting availability of oil products both locally and regionally.

According to another consultant, marketers are now paying higher freight charges for delivery of crude oil and refined fuel to Mombasa.

"Marketers are incurring additional costs of $500,000 (Sh40 million) to $1 million (Sh80 million) to hire a tanker of 80,000 metric tonnes as piracy has spread further," said Mr Robert Shisoka of Hydrocarbons Management Consultants.

Mr Shisoka said firms incur additional cost of $6.25 (Sh500) to $12.5 (Sh1,000) to deliver one metric tonne of crude oil to Mombasa as tankers sail farther away from the normal course to avoid the Somali pirates.