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Attock Refinery Tanker Movements Restored After Security Curbs Forced Unit Shutdown

The disruption highlights how security roadblocks can choke Pakistan’s northern fuel supply.

Overview

  • ARL said late Wednesday transport of crude and fuel by road resumed after Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik intervened.
  • The company had taken its main crude distillation unit, a 32,400-barrel-per-day plant, offline on Wednesday as tanker blockages cut both crude intake and product dispatch.
  • In filings and letters, ARL reported crude receipts fell about 35% and gasoline and diesel stocks filled storage, leaving only about two days of space.
  • As the only refinery in Pakistan’s north, ARL supplies jet fuel to Islamabad and Peshawar airports and fuel to the armed forces and power plants, so a full shutdown risked widespread shortages.
  • Road closures that started Sunday for visiting delegations stranded tankers at choke points near Sohawa, Mandra, Fateh Jang, Rawat and Tarnol, revealing how a road-only system creates a single point of failure.