Oil supplies from Russia to Pakistan are sporadic with the country’s oil refineries are geared to lighter crude blends, Pakistani Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik told journalists on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, as per Interfax.
“There are five or six oil refineries in Pakistan, and they are already working with trial cargoes from Russia. Since Russian oil is quite heavy, and Pakistani refineries are used to lower-sulfur varieties, in particular, from the Middle East, we try to mix it with other crudes and optimize production plans,” Malik said.He said Pakistani refineries continued to work with Russian suppliers to identify their needs.”If you ask about the number of ships and cargoes we received, I think one or two were processed by Pakistan Refinery Limited, and three or four more by Cnergyico. But this is sporadic rather than the norm, because of the problems I told you about.
We are adjusting the properties of the oil, and as soon as we have an understanding, I think it will be possible to guarantee more stable supplies,” the minister said.He said there were no problems between the two countries in settlements for oil. Pakistan expects to say finally how much oil it needs during the intergovernmental commission, which should be held before the end of the year.But he also said working with heavy grades of oil would lead to an increase in fuel oil production. This may become an obstacle to the import of Russian oil due to the country’s obligations to the International Monetary Fund.
Source: Reuters
