ISLAMABAD – Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) has temporarily shut down its main crude distillation unit, HBU-I, with a capacity of 32,400 barrels per stream day (BPSD), citing disruptions caused by road closures in Islamabad ahead of the arrival of foreign delegates.
In a disclosure to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), the refinery said, “Due to the expected arrival of foreign delegates in Islamabad, there has been an abrupt suspension of oil tank lorry movement to and from ARL. This situation has adversely impacted crude oil receipts as well as product dispatches, directly affecting refinery operations.”
The company added that the suspension of oil transport had led to a significant increase in stocks of Motor Spirit (MS) and High-Speed Diesel (HSD), while crude oil receipts dropped sharply.
ARL noted that the main crude distillation unit will remain offline “till improvement of the current traffic restrictions.”
Analysts said the temporary halt at one of Pakistan’s key refineries could affect fuel supply in Islamabad and Peshawar if road restrictions persist, though the situation is largely linked to logistics rather than technical issues at the plant.
