Low grade petrol in Pakistan

At a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee held recently, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi made a startling statement about the quality of fuel being used in the country. Apparently, the fuel being imported in Pakistan and also being produced by oil refineries is of the lowest grade. This causes vehicles to experience a phenomenon called ‘knocking’ and perform much less efficiently than they would do with a higher quality fuel blend. This quality of octane fuel is only being used in one other country in the world: Somalia. Globally, however, fuel production and import requirements with regard to quality have soared since most modern vehicles require higher grade petrol to run to their full potential. The minister went on to lay out various options to induce local refineries to upgrade their production while also suggesting that Pakistan should halt the import of lower grade petroleum in the future.

If the minister’s words are heeded and the public is provided better quality petrol in the coming months and years, this will be good news for all those whose vehicles have been suffering unnecessary wear and tear due to what can only be termed oversight and lack of planning. The upgrades in car engines and subsequently changing requirements for fuel have been evident to end users, manufacturing companies and governments around the world. If we have purposefully ignored these changes and as a result have caused unnecessary costs, and perhaps excessive emissions due to the use of lower grade fuel then the burden of responsibility lies with the bodies charged with fulfilling the energy requirements of this country. Despite various setbacks the Pakistani economy continues to grow and with it the purchase of vehicles and demand for fuel. The government’s inability to cope with this demand does not bode well for the future either. While the rest of the world is considering moving beyond petrol given its limited supply, Pakistanis are still stuck using an outmoded version of a fuel that will in a few decades be on its way out.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2016.

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