The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has mandated that oil marketing companies (OMCs) strictly comply with safety and branding guidelines for petroleum tankers across Pakistan.
In a circular to OMCs, OGRA outlined requirements for tank lorries, including adherence to safety standards, installation of tracking devices, and clear display of company-specific colour schemes, brands, and logos.Â
The regulator noted that some OMCs were not fully complying with branding protocols, such as prescribed colours and logos, which violates the standard operating procedures for physical verification.
In Pakistan, 69% of oil transport is done by road, 29% by pipeline, and the remaining 2% by rail, involving approximately 14,000-16,000 road tankers with capacities between 10 and 30 metric tonnes.
The petroleum supply chain, reliant on road tankers, rail, and pipelines, moves refined and crude oil from refineries to storage, then onward to fuel stations or for export.Â
Pakistan Railways, by comparison, manages 5,400 tank wagons for fuel transport but faces limitations due to infrastructure and locomotive constraints.
OGRA has instructed all OMCs to ensure their tank lorries are distinctly branded and used exclusively for their own operations, as outlined in field SOPs.Â
Non-compliant OMCs may face disallowed transportation claims. However, multinational OMCs with security concerns may implement a unique colour scheme or coding, provided they inform Ogra in advance.
The circular also reminded depots to verify the ownership or contract status of tankers through the OGRA website, where a list of approved tank lorries is available.
