TEXT: Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) was incorporated as a Private Limited Company in November, 1978 to take over the business of The Attock Oil Company Limited (AOC) relating to refining of crude oil and supplying of refined petroleum products. It was subsequently converted into a Public Limited Company in June, 1979 and its shares are quoted on the Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited. The Company is also registered with Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDC).
Original paid-up capital of the Company was Rs 80 million which was subscribed by the holding company i.e. AOC, Government of Pakistan, investment companies and general public. The present paid-up capital of the Company is Rs 1,066.163 million.
ARL is the pioneer of crude oil refining in the country with its operations dating back to 1922. Backed by a rich experience of 100 years of successful operations, ARL's plants have been gradually upgraded / replaced with state-of-the-art hardware to remain competitive and meet new challenges and requirements.
It all began in February 1922, when two small stills of 2,500 barrel per day (bpd) came on stream at Morgah following the first discovery of oil at Khaur where drilling started on January 22, 1915 and at very shallow depth of 223 feet 5,000 barrels of oil flowed. After discovery of oil in Dhulian in 1937, the Refinery was expanded in late thirties and early forties. A 5,500 bpd Lummus Two-Stage-Distillation Unit, a Dubbs Thermal Cracker Lubricating Oil Refinery, Wax Purification facility and the Edeleanu Solvent Extraction Unit for smoke-point correction of Kerosene were added.
There were subsequent discoveries of oil at Meyal and Toot (1968). Reservoir studies during the period 1970-78 further indicated high potential for crude oil production of around 20,000 bpd. In 1981, the capacity of Refinery was increased by the addition of two distillation units of 20,000 and 5,000 bpd capacity, respectively. Due to their vintage, the old units for lube/wax production, as well as Edeleanu, were closed down in 1986. Another expansion and up-gradation project was completed in 1999 with the installation of a Heavy Crude Unit of 10,000 bpd and a Catalytic Reformer of 5,000 bpd. In 2000, a Captive Power Plant with installed capacity of 7.5 Megawatt was commissioned.
The latest Expansion/Up-gradation Project completed in November, 2016 comprised the following:
i)Diesel Hydro Desulphurization (DHDS) unit: This has reduced Sulphur contents in the High Speed Diesel to meet Euro II and Euro III specifications;
ii) Preflash unit: This has increased refining capacity by 10,400 bpd;
iii) Light Naphtha Isomerization unit: This has enhanced production of Premium Motor Gasoline by about 20,000 M. Tons per month;
iv) Expansion of existing Captive power plant by 18 MW.
ARL’s current nameplate capacity stands at 53,400 bpd and it possesses the capability to process lightest to heaviest (10-65 API) crudes. The Company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certified. ARL laboratory is ISO/ IEC 17025 accredited. It is the first refinery in Pakistan to implement ISO 50001 (Energy Management System).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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