Oil sales rise 5pc in first two months of FY26

By Tanveer Malik

September 03, 2025

Employees at a fuel station attend to their customers in Islamabad, Pakistan, on February 16, 2022. — AFP/File

KARACHI: Oil sales rose 5.0 per cent YoY to 2.5 million tonnes in the first two months of the current fiscal year, compared with 2.4 million tonnes in the same period last year.

In August alone, oil sales increased 7.0 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 1.3 million tonnes, while posting a 6.0 per cent month-on-month (MoM) gain. Analysts attributed the annual growth to gradual economic recovery and reduced smuggling from Iran, while the monthly increase was supported by a decline in petroleum prices.

Excluding furnace oil (FO), sales in August 2025 stood at 1.28 million tonnes, up 11 per cent YoY and 6.0 per cent MoM. For July-August, ex-FO sales reached 2.48 million tonnes, reflecting a 10 per cent annual rise.

Motor spirit (MS) prices fell by Rs7.54 per litre to Rs264.61, while high-speed diesel (HSD) prices dropped by Rs11.36 to Rs272.99 per litre, following a 5.0 per cent MoM correction in international crude oil prices after a sharp increase in July due to geopolitical tensions.

MS sales rose 8.0 per cent YoY and 10 per cent MoM to 675,000 tonnes in August, while HSD sales increased 14 per cent YoY and 3.0 per cent MoM to 522,000 tonnes. FO sales slumped 71 per cent YoY but climbed 21 per cent MoM to 19,000 tonnes, with CYNERGY, Pearl PARCO and Attock Petroleum Ltd (APL) leading sales in this segment.

APL recorded sales of 112,000 tonnes in August, down 1.0 per cent YoY due to weaker FO demand but up 14 per cent MoM on stronger HSD sales. The company’s market share rose to 8.54 per cent in MS and 8.81 per cent in HSD, up 73 and 72 basis points (bps) respectively from July.

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) posted a 4.0 per cent YoY and 8.0 per cent MoM increase in sales to 547,000 tonnes. PSO’s MS market share reached 38.97 per cent and HSD 42.3 per cent, rising 39bps and 154bps MoM respectively. The company’s overall market share rose to 42.07 per cent in August from 41.57 per cent in July.

Wafi Energy Pakistan Ltd (WAFI) recorded sales of 107,000 tonnes in August, up 16 per cent YoY and 1.0 per cent MoM, while Hascol Petroleum Ltd reported 42,000 tonnes, flat YoY but down 7.0 per cent MoM.According to Arif Habib Ltd Research, the improvement in sales volumes was driven by higher automobile sales and a reduction in the smuggling of petroleum products from Iran.