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Owners of petrol stations in Pakistan have also sounded alarm on the presence of a looming fuel supply crisis with warnings that petrol and diesel can be increasingly difficult to obtain over the next few days. The Association of All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners issues the warning saying that a number of oil marketing companies have begun to make rationed fuel deliveries by use of a quota system.

The association claims that small amounts of fuel are being delivered to most petrol pumps compared to the normal standards. There are also reports that some of the stations are experiencing delays in tanker deliveries and others are experiencing a problem of continuing with normal supplies.

The petrol pump operators are getting scared that should such restrictions be maintained there would be an artificial shortage that will interfere with the supply of fuel to the motorists within the nation.

Urgent Letter Sent to Prime Minister

The association has since drafted a letter in urgent response to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif due to the mounting concerns. The letter emphasizes the challenges the petrol station owners are experiencing where they claim that they cannot compensate for the daily fuel demand as they are getting only a few deliveries.

The association clarified that the quota system that is employed by certain oil firms is diminishing the quantity of petrol and diesel in the stations. In some instances, fuel tankers are said to wait prolonged durations before loading, in some instances the fuel given to certain tanks is even less than the required amount.

Owners of petrol pumps complain that these conditions will not allow them to work effectively and provide services to the clients without any problems.

OGRA Assures Adequate Fuel Reserves

Although these concerns exist, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has assured people that at the moment, the short term demand will not be short-changed since Pakistan has enough fuel reserves.

The country is reportedly having approximately 28 days of petroleum reserves as stated by the officials of OGRA, and it should be enough to discourage any immediate shortages. The regulator has also said that it is closely observing the fuel supply situation in the country.

Officials assert that the pressure in the existing supply is not an indication that there is an imminent crisis, but they have noted that the fuel distribution chain is stretched because of external forces.

Hormuz Region Disruptions Affecting Supply

The second reason is that one of the important factors which influence the deliveries of fuel is the interference with the Strait of Hormuz area which is a major pathway in oil transportation across the world. The oil shipments of the world undergo a significant portion of their way through this narrow waterway.

The intervention of any disturbances, security issues, or delays in shipping in this region may have a direct effect on the oil imports to those countries that rely on the foreign supply of fuel, such as Pakistan.

Experts in the field of energy believe that any lag in international deliveries can compel oil companies to be more prudent when handling the available stock and this might be the cause of the temporary restrictions in the delivery.

Concerns Over Possible Public Panic

Petrol pump owners caution that in case the fuel supply is not increased, motorists are likely to start spending more time in the fuel stations. There are even high chances that some pumps would temporarily run out of stock in extreme cases.

The association has been pushing the authorities to make sure that all the decisions that touch on fuel distribution should be made available to the industry stakeholders to avoid panic buying or confusion among the citizens.

Experts indicate that consistency in supply and free communication will prove essential in avoiding unreasonable panic in the market.

At the present, the authorities assure that the fuel stocks in Pakistan do not experience any trouble yet, though the case will be under constant observation in the nearest weeks.

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