ISLAMABAD: Operations at Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) have returned to normal following the restoration of road transport for crude oil and petroleum products, the refinery confirmed on Thursday.
The disruption, caused by road closures linked to the arrival of foreign delegates in Islamabad, had forced ARL to shut down its main crude distillation unit a day earlier. The situation was resolved late last night with the intervention of Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and the General Headquarters.
ARL, a critical supplier of fuel to central and northern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, had reported a complete halt in crude oil inflows and product dispatches due to restrictions on oil tank lorry movement.
In its regulatory filing to the Pakistan Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the refinery stated that its 32,400 barrels-per-day crude distillation unit (HBU-I) was shut down as storage levels of Motor Spirit (MS) and High-Speed Diesel (HSD) surged, while crude supplies declined sharply.
The refinery had earlier approached the Petroleum Division and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to urgently facilitate the movement of oil tankers during the period of road closures from April 18 to April 26.
With transport routes now reopened, ARL has resumed crude intake and product distribution, stabilizing fuel supply to key regions and supporting furnace oil provision to independent power producers (IPPs) to help manage electricity demand.
Story by Khaleeq Kiani
