Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister of State for Petroleum, announced that the first shipment of crude oil, weighing 100,000 tonnes, is scheduled to arrive in Oman on May 27. From there, it will be transferred to Pakistan using smaller ships.
The decision to anchor the ship in an Omani port was due to the limited capacity of Pakistani ports, which cannot accommodate vessels carrying more than 50,000 tonnes of goods.
Dr. Musadik Malik highlighted that Pakistan has the lowest per capita energy consumption in South Asia and that the country’s annual fuel demand is 20 million tonnes. He expressed concerns that fuel demand is projected to reach 34.33 million tonnes by 2032. To meet this growing demand, the minister emphasized the need to construct a refinery with a capacity of 300,000 to 400,000 barrels.
Additionally, Dr. Musadik Malik stressed the importance of storing crude oil for the energy sector within the country.
It is worth noting that Pakistan recently placed its first order for discounted Russian crude oil as part of a new agreement between Islamabad and Moscow, which was finalized on April 20.
Dr. Musadik Malik stated that initially, Pakistan’s Refinery Limited (PRL) will refine the Russian crude oil, with other refineries to be included in the process after a trial run.
