Petroleum sales drop 22pc MoM

KARACHI: Petroleum sales recorded a sharp 22 per cent month-on-month (MoM) decline in July 2025 compared to June, according to industry data.

Analysts attributed the fall to heavy rainfall and flooding across the country, along with a MoM increase of 6.5 per cent in motor spirit (MS) and 9.4 per cent in high-speed diesel (HSD) prices, driven by higher global oil prices.

The imposition of a Rs2.5 per litre carbon sustainability levy also contributed to the increase in domestic fuel prices, dampening demand.

On an MoM basis, MS offtake fell by 16 per cent to 0.61 million tonnes, while HSD sales dropped by 18 per cent to 0.51 million tonnes. Furnace oil (FO) sales declined steeply by 88 per cent MoM to 0.02 million tonnes, primarily due to reduced power generation amid lower electricity demand during the ongoing monsoon season.

However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, total sales by oil marketing companies (OMCs) edged up by 2.0 per cent to 1.22 million tonnes in July, compared to 1.2 million tonnes in the same month last year.

Analysts linked the annual improvement in volumes to stronger demand following a YoY reduction in MS and HSD prices, a crackdown on smuggled petroleum products from Iran, and an uptick in automobile sales.

MS and HSD dispatches rose by 4.0 per cent and 9.0 per cent YoY, reaching 0.61 million tonnes and 0.51 million tonnes, respectively. FO sales, however, plunged by 80 per cent YoY due to lower reliance on FO-based power generation.

At the company level, Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) sales declined by 7.0 per cent YoY to 0.51 million tonnes in July 2025. PSO’s offtake of both MS and HSD fell by 3.0 per cent each, while its FO offtake declined by 93 per cent YoY.

Attock Petroleum Limited (APL) saw a 3.0 per cent YoY drop in offtake to 0.1 million tonnes. Meanwhile, Wafi and Hascol posted YoY growth in dispatches of 22 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively.

PSO’s market share in July 2025 fell sharply by 4 percentage points to 41.6 per cent, down from 45.6 per cent in the same period last year. APL’s market share also declined slightly by 0.4 percentage points to 8.1 per cent.

In contrast, Wafi’s share rose to 8.6 per cent (+1.4 percentage points YoY), while Hascol’s increased to 3.7 per cent. Gas and Oil Pakistan Ltd (GO) recorded a substantial gain in market share, rising to 14.2 per cent in July 2025 from 8.9 per cent a year earlier. The combined market share of other OMCs dropped to 23.8 per cent in July 2025.