Attock refinery operations resume after transport disruption

Road transport of crude oil and petroleum products to and from Attock Oil Refinery has been restored after a temporary suspension caused by road closures linked to security arrangements in Islamabad. The refinery confirmed that operations resumed late last night following intervention by Ali Pervaiz Malik and coordination with General Headquarters Pakistan Army.

The disruption had forced the refinery to shut down its main crude distillation unit, halting both the receipt of crude oil and the dispatch of refined products. The facility, which plays a critical role in supplying fuel to central and northern Punjab as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, faced significant operational challenges during the closure.

In a regulatory filing submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the refinery stated that restrictions on oil tanker movement led to a buildup of Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel stocks, while incoming crude supplies dropped sharply. As a result, the main crude distillation unit with a capacity of over 32,000 barrels per day was temporarily shut down.

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The refinery had earlier alerted authorities, including the Petroleum Division and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, about the risks posed by prolonged road closures between April 18 and April 26 due to the arrival of foreign delegations in the capital.

With transport now restored, operations are expected to gradually return to normal. The refinery also supplies furnace fuel oil to independent power producers, making its functioning vital for both fuel availability and power generation.

Officials say timely coordination helped prevent a prolonged disruption, but the incident highlights the vulnerability of energy supply chains to logistical and security-related constraints.