Suggested slug: crude-oil-imports-jump-12-percent-q1
Category: Business
Focus keyphrase: Pakistan crude oil imports Q1
SEO title: Pakistan Crude Oil Imports Jump 12% to 2.78m Tonnes in Q1 (54 chars)
Meta description: Pakistan imported 2.78 million tonnes of crude oil in July-September, up 12% year-on-year, as refineries stockpiled amid Middle East supply concerns. (139 chars)
Tags: crude oil imports, oil refineries, energy, petroleum, Middle East crisis, petrol prices, trade, economy
Original element: own data point — refinery stockpiling set against our own prior coverage of petrol price revisions and fuel-market warnings (linked below)
Pakistan’s Crude Oil Imports Jump 12% to 2.78 Million Tonnes in Q1
KARACHI: Pakistan’s crude oil imports rose by around 12 per cent to 2.78 million tonnes in the first quarter (July-September) of fiscal year 2026-27, up from 2.48 million tonnes in the same period last year, oil sector data shows.
The country imported 2,780,176 tonnes of crude oil during the three months. Refineries increased purchases amid concerns over possible supply disruptions caused by the Middle East crisis, according to oil sector sources.
August brought the biggest shipments
Crude oil imports stood at 763,702 tonnes in July. They then jumped by about 62 per cent to 1.238 million tonnes in August, the highest monthly volume of the quarter.
Imports fell to 778,964 tonnes in September, a drop of around 37 per cent from August.
Of the total quarterly volume, 2,168,681 tonnes were handled at Keamari, while 611,495 tonnes arrived through the Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility.
Pakistan depends heavily on imported crude to feed its refineries. Oil sector sources said the higher volumes helped refineries keep adequate crude stocks and prepare for expected demand.
Petrol and diesel imports
Besides crude, Pakistan imported 1.275 million tonnes of 92 RON petrol during the quarter. Of this, 253,222 tonnes came through Keamari, while 1,021,949 tonnes were handled by FOTCO.
The country also imported 83,497 tonnes of high-speed diesel, all through FOTCO in August. Imports of 95 RON petrol stood at 14,997 tonnes in September, also through FOTCO.
Furnace oil exports cross 300,000 tonnes
On the export side, Pakistan shipped 246,417 tonnes of high-sulphur furnace oil (HSFO) in the first quarter. Monthly HSFO exports were 29,853 tonnes in July, rose sharply to 123,269 tonnes in August, and eased to 93,295 tonnes in September.
The country also exported 52,597 tonnes of low-sulphur furnace oil (LSFO), including 26,411 tonnes in July and 26,186 tonnes in September. No LSFO was exported in August.
Medium-sulphur furnace oil (MSFO) exports totalled 8,354 tonnes, all in July. Combined exports of HSFO, MSFO and LSFO reached 307,368 tonnes during July-September.
Naphtha exports amounted to 22,282 tonnes during the quarter, while no very-low-sulphur furnace oil (VLSFO) was exported.
Stockpiling against supply risk
The import surge fits a clear pattern in our own coverage this quarter: refineries and traders have been bracing for supply shocks linked to the Middle East crisis. Earlier this month, a Vitol warning of $200 oil rattled fuel markets, and the government has been revising petrol and diesel prices to keep pace with international volatility — most recently with the October 23 price revision.
The International Energy Agency’s release of 325 million barrels from emergency oil stocks earlier this month underscored how seriously global markets are taking the disruption risk. Against that backdrop, August’s record 1.238 million tonnes looks like deliberate stockpiling rather than a demand spike.
For consumers, the import bill matters because it feeds directly into the fortnightly price mechanism. Higher crude volumes at elevated international prices keep upward pressure on pump prices — a link jet fuel and kerosene consumers already felt earlier this month. Whether September’s sharp month-on-month fall continues into the second quarter will be the next signal to watch, and refineries’ October buying will show whether the stockpiling continues.
