Low POL upliftment by OMCs: ARL shuts down 5,000-barrel crude distillation unit

Letter says refinery is already operating at 70% capacity and closure of said unit has further lowered capacity utilisation

By Our Correspondent
April 11, 2025
Motorcyclists filling their fuel tanks at a petrol pump in Hyderabad, on March 1, 2022. — APP
Motorcyclists filling their fuel tanks at a petrol pump in Hyderabad, on March 1, 2022. — APP

ISLAMABAD: In an alarming development, Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) has shut down one of its crude distillation units, which has a refining capacity of 5,000 barrels per day, as its petrol and high speed diesel (HSD) stocks have reached very high storage level due to lower upliftment by oil marketing companies (OMCs), posing a risk of overflow. The refinery has warned top government functionaries that it would close down its whole operation if no improvement in the upliftment of POL products by OMCs.

In a letter addressed to the Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra) and copied to the Director General (DG) Oil on April 9, the management of the refinery informed that HSD stocks have reached a critical level with minimum ullage available, increasing the risk of overflow from its storages.

The letter also sensitised the regulator that the refinery is already operating at 70 per cent capacity and the closure of the said unit has further lowered the capacity utilisation.