KARACHI: Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) has announced a temporary shutdown of its main crude distillation unit for a period of three to four days, starting January 4, 2026.
In a notice submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, the company cited elevated finished product inventories and reduced upliftment by oil marketing companies (OMCs) as the primary reasons for the decision. The shutdown will impact ARL’s HBL-1 crude distillation unit, which has a processing capacity of 32,400 barrels per stream day.
The disclosure was made in compliance with Clause 5.6.1 of the PSX Rule Book and Sections 96 and 131 of the Securities Act, 2015. According to the refinery, lower crude availability combined with subdued offtake of petrol and high-speed diesel during December 2025 led to an accumulation of finished products, making the temporary halt necessary.
ARL said the shutdown period would be utilized to carry out essential maintenance activities. The company added that other crude units would remain operational, while downstream processing units would continue functioning normally.
Assuring stakeholders, ARL stated that it would maintain committed supply volumes and ensure uninterrupted despatches throughout the current month despite the temporary shutdown.
