Attock Refinery says crude receipts, dispatches normalise after authorities’ intervention

Attock Refinery Limited has said that crude oil receipts and product dispatches have started to normalise after recent disruptions, with full operational recovery expected in the coming days.

In a disclosure to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Thursday, the refinery stated that the improvement follows intervention and support from relevant authorities. It noted that oil tanker movement has resumed, allowing both crude supply and product dispatches to stabilise.

“We wish to inform you that after intervention and support from relevant authorities, receipts of crude oil and product dispatches through oil tankers have started to normalise and we expect that normal operations will resume within the next few days,” read the notice sent to the PSX.

Read This: Attock Refinery shuts main distillation unit amid road closures disrupting crude supply

On Wednesday, the refinery shut down its main crude distillation unit (HBU-I) with a capacity of 32,400 barrels per day due to severe logistical disruptions caused by security-related traffic restrictions linked to the second round of potential Islamabad talks.

The restrictions led to road closures across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, disrupting transport routes and halting the movement of oil tank lorries, which affected crude supply and product dispatches.

In its communication to the PSX and a letter to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the refinery said the suspension of tanker movement had directly impacted operations, with crude oil receipts declining by around 35%.

The refinery also reported a buildup in motor spirit and high-speed diesel stocks, with storage capacity available for only about two days at the time.

Crude oil tankers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Potohar region were reported to be stuck at multiple locations, while vehicles of oil marketing companies were unable to access the refinery for product lifting.

Later, the petroleum minister said arrangements had been made to provide police escort for tankers to restore fuel movement after the disruptions forced the refinery to shut its main unit.