ISLAMABAD: Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) has temporarily shut down its main crude distillation unit, HBU-I, which has a capacity to process 32400 barrels of crude oil each day, because road closures in Islamabad are hindering its operations during the arrival of foreign delegates.
The refinery announced through a Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) disclosure that “oil tank lorry movement to and from ARL has been stopped because foreign delegates are expected to arrive in Islamabad.
The refinery operations have been disrupted because the current situation prevents the refinery from receiving crude oil and dispatching products.” The company reported that oil transport suspension resulted in higher stock levels of Motor Spirit (MS) and High-Speed Diesel (HSD) while crude oil receipts experienced a steep decline.
ARL confirmed that the primary crude distillation unit will remain out of service until the present traffic restrictions show improvement.
Analysts reported that Islamabad and Peshawar will experience fuel shortages because one of Pakistan’s main refineries has stopped operations until road restrictions are resolved, although the plant’s problems are mostly caused by logistical challenges instead of technical difficulties.
