By an OGJ correspondent
KARACHI, Nov. 11 -- Three refineries with a total capacity of 465,000 b/d “are in the pipeline,” Pakistan Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar told the National Assembly.
Included are the 250,000-b/d Khalifa Coastal refinery and the 115,000-b/d Bosicor Oil Pakistan Ltd. facility, both in Hub, Balochistan Province; and the 100,000-b/d Trans-Asia Refinery Ltd. facility at Port Qasim in Karachi.
Existing refineries in Pakistan include the 100,000-b/d Pak-Arab refinery; the 62,050-b/d National refinery; the 47,110-b/d Pakistan Refinery Ltd. facility; the 42,000-b/d Attock refinery; the 30,000-b/d Bosicor Pakistan facility; the 2,500-b/d Dhodak Refinery Ltd. facility; and the 2,646-b/d Enar Petrotech Services Ltd. facility.
As an incentive to attract local and foreign investment, the current petroleum policy requires no prior government permission for a new refinery project.
The Minister said refineries are free to sell their product to any marketing companies, or they can set up their own marketing firms. The Pakistan government recently approved additional incentives for all new megaprojects of minimum 100,000 b/d production capacity to be installed along the coastal belt of Balochistan, particularly Gwadar, with 20 years income-tax holiday, he added.
The terms and conditions contained in the Ministry of Commerce trade policy for 2008-09 will be applicable for import of second-hand refinery project in its letter and spirit. The sponsors shall ensure the design of second-hand refinery is thoroughly reviewed and verified by an independent engineering consultant.
Photo from ExxonMobil Corp.
Photo from Sonangol EP.
