Pakistan: Oil stocks deplete as economic shutdown continues

Electricity generation may halt for Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: The crippling effect of the complete economic shutdown following Benazir Bhutto’s tragic assassination is likely to impact oil refining soon if supplies of crude and furnace oil are not restored, further complicating the overall supply situation and the worsening law and order, experts and officials say.

The power crisis may worsen in the next couple of days as furnace oil supply is completely suspended and stocks would only last for a few days to continue electricity generation particularly for Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan.


“If rail and road services are not restored immediately, it is feared that key powerhouses and some oil refineries, including Attock Refinery, may stop electricity generation and oil production due to non-availability of furnace and crude oil respectively,” official sources told The News here on Saturday.

The Attock Oil Refinery, having capacity of refining oil up to 13,000 to 15,000 barrels per day, may stop production in a day or two as supply line from Karachi is halted since last Thursday evening, the officials said.

“We maintain stocks of furnace oil for about 10 days to ensure electricity generation from the existing powerhouses and definitely there will be a severe problem because its supply is zero at present,” the official sources at Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said.

The International News (Pakistan)