Attock Refinery Temporarily Shuts 32,400 BPSD Unit as Road Closures Hit Oil Movement
Rawalpindi, April 22, 2026: Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) has announced the shutdown of its main crude distillation unit following significant disruptions to the movement of oil tankers and road closures that have affected the company’s refinery operations.
In a disclosure to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), the company said the abrupt suspension of oil tanker movement to and from its facilities had adversely affected both crude oil receipts and product dispatches. The disruption has created operational constraints for the refinery and impacted the normal flow of petroleum products.
According to ARL, stocks of Motor Spirit (MS) and High-Speed Diesel (HSD) have increased significantly because product dispatches have been affected. At the same time, crude oil receipts have declined substantially due to road closures, creating additional challenges for refinery operations.
In response to the prevailing traffic restrictions, the company has shut down its main crude distillation unit (HBU-I), which has a capacity of 32,400 barrels per stream day (BPSD).
The shutdown is being undertaken to manage the operational impact of the restrictions while transportation routes remain disrupted. The company’s disclosure was made under the applicable Pakistan Stock Exchange rules and relevant provisions of the Securities Act, 2015.
ARL has requested the dissemination of the information to the certificate holders of the exchange.
The development highlights the vulnerability of refinery operations to disruptions in the transportation network, as refineries depend on the uninterrupted movement of crude oil into their facilities and petroleum products to downstream markets. Any prolonged interruption in tanker movement and road access could continue to affect refinery utilization, crude supplies and product distribution.
