next date of import of LNG from Qatar.
With already serious shortages of electricity and gas, the country is now hit by the petrol shortage like never before in the history of Pakistan.
According to sources for the month of January, 2015 PSO awarded 02 vessels with the loading window on 2-4 January from UAE and 3-5 January from Singapore. PSO advised Pakistan National Shipping Corporation for providing vessels as per the provisions of the agreement signed between the two.
Officials in the PSO are shifting the burden on the PNSC and insist that the latter failed to discharge their obligation and vessel for UAE loading was provided on 6th January. As per industry practice any vessel arriving late misses its right for berthing and had to wait. The vessel was berthed on 10th January and sailed on 12th arriving Karachi on 15th after high tide and was berthed on 16th January. The dispatches to up-country were started immediately.
Similarly, it is said, the vessel for Singapore loading was provided after 10 days delay and vessel arrived at load port on 15th January instead of 5th January. The vessel is under loading which will be completed by 18th January and will arrive on 28-29 January as the sailing time from Singapore to Karachi is 10-11 days depending on weather.
Meanwhile, it is also said that the decrease in prices of petroleum products increased the sales and average sales were 15000 MT/day as against an average of 11000-12000 MT. This resulted in depletion of oil stocks at PSO storages. The Parco refinery experienced an emergency shut down on 6th January due to tripping of 11 KV lines which halted refinery operation for 3-4 days and reduced the availability of petroleum goods from the refinery.
PAK-Arab Refinery Limited (Parco) is the largest refinery in the country and supplies more than 2000 MT per day to industry. The reduce availability from Parco was also a contributing factor which contributed to shortages of PMG in certain areas of the country.