Pakistan’s refinery sector recorded solid growth in April 2026, supported by tighter restrictions on smuggled Iranian fuel and ongoing disruptions in natural gas supplies, which increased reliance on domestic petroleum production.
During the month, total refinery upliftment rose 12.7 percent year-on-year to 954,000 tons. The increase was mainly driven by stronger demand for High-Speed Diesel (HSD) and Furnace Oil (FO), as market conditions pushed oil marketing companies to secure more local supply amid import uncertainties and reduced inflows of foreign fuel.
HSD sales climbed 11.3 percent to 442,000 tons, reflecting higher procurement by OMCs due to supply concerns, possible import disruptions, and improved refinery utilization. FO sales surged 26 percent to 235,000 tons, largely due to its increased use in power generation as gas shortages limited RLNG availability. Motor Spirit (petrol) sales, however, showed a slight decline of 1.7 percent year-on-year.
On the production side, refinery output rose 10.7 percent to 993,000 tons in April. Capacity utilization improved to 58.1 percent compared to 52.5 percent in the same month last year. HSD made up 50.5 percent of total production, as refineries responded to strong demand and anticipated pricing adjustments.
Among individual players, National Refinery Limited (NRL) led growth with a sharp 78 percent increase in sales to 143,000 tons, driven by higher volumes across product lines. Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) posted a 32.7 percent rise to 153,000 tons despite earlier operational disruptions caused by road blockages and a temporary shutdown of its main processing unit, which resumed operations on May 4. CNERGY recorded a 29.9 percent increase to 146,000 tons, while Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) sales rose 18.1 percent to 132,000 tons.
For the first ten months of FY2026, total refinery upliftment reached 9.0 million tons, reflecting a 12.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year and highlighting sustained momentum in the sector despite ongoing energy supply challenges.
