(PAGE) was briefed by Mr Shehryar Ahmad, General Manager Communication Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited. Following are the excerpts:
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of Byco’s major strategic advantages is its Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility. The SPM is the only floating liquid port in the country, allowing Byco to import both crude oil and refined petroleum products directly. At a time when the other two key ports in Karachi are facing extreme congestion due to increased port operations resulting in economic loss and higher financial costs, Byco’s SPM is a strategic advantage for Pakistan’s economy and a National Asset. The SPM allows much larger vessels to deliver oil and refined products including super tankers due to its 25 meter depth. This has enabled Byco to cater to the largest ever shipment of crude oil in 2017; a record 102,000 metric tons of crude was received through Byco’s SPM, making it the largest ever in the nation’s history. Single Point Mooring (SPM) near Charna Island in Balochistan allows the company to import crude oil and refined petroleum products directly.
In a short span of just two decades, Byco Petroleum has become the largest oil refining firm of Pakistan. Byco has recently re-commissioned its second oil refining complex, ORC-2, which is the single largest refinery in the country, with a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd). In addition to Byco’s original oil refining complex, ORC-1, which was commissioned in 2004 with a current refining capacity of 35,000 bpd, Byco’s oil refining capacity has now reached 155,000 bpd, which is unrivalled in Pakistan. Engaged in the business of oil refining, petroleum marketing, and petroleum logistics, Byco has emerged as one of the leading firms in Pakistan’s petroleum industry. Byco produces a wide range of petroleum products with a vision of achieving sustainable productivity and shareholder return while upholding high environmental, health and safety standards. Byco currently refines crude oil in to various marketable components including Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Light & Heavy Naphtha, High Octane Blending Component, motor Gasoline, Kerosene, Jet Fuels, High Speed Diesel, and Furnace Oil. The company has its own Oil Marketing Company with a nationwide network of retail petrol stations across all five provinces of Pakistan.
Byco has recently launched its Lubricants business as well. Byco has a fleet of Tankers/Bowzers to distribute its products nationwide. Byco supplies to all major OMCs including PSO, Hascol, Shell, Chevron and others. Byco operates a nationwide network of petrol pumps across Pakistan also.
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When asked about the CSR activities of Byco, PAGE was informed as follows:
- Byco’s refinery has employed about 550 people from the surrounding areas.
- Byco has built a pipeline of drinking water which is used by the nearby villages.
- Three ambulances and a medical clinic are available for the neighboring villages. If necessary, illnesses untreatable locally are brought to Karachi at Byco’s expense.
- Byco has fixed and expanded the route leading to the refinery at its own expense.
- Byco is installing road safety signs, speed breakers and cat’s eyes for the benefit of the people of the villages and their safety.
- Byco contributed to installing a solar tube well in bandarjeegaon which provides safe drinking water to all the villagers from bandarjee and closeby.
Very recently, a distress call was received at 7:30 pm in the evening near Sonara Beach in Balochistan by Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency (MSA). A fishing boat carrying 9 precious souls was taking in water and was in danger of capsizing. The Maritime Security Agency reached out to Byco Petroleum to reach the location expeditiously. Byco’s security boat searched for the distressed vessel and found it after some efforts. Byco successfully rescued all 09 crew members. The crew members of the capsized boat named Al Sahil, are Shah Jahan (Nakwa),
Abdul Salam, Fateh Muhammad, Alamgeer, Matih Al Rehman, M. Sheraz, M. Arshad, Hubdar Ali and Shahid Ahmed. All the rescued personnel were warmly welcomed by Byco’s security boat staff and were provided food and shelter on board.
Details of the event were shared with MSA and JMICC who appreciated Byco’s timely response. They acknowledged that without Byco’s prompt action, the lives of the 9 crew members would have been in extreme danger. Due to weather constraints, MSA requested Byco to accommodate the rescued personnel overnight onboard. The fishermen returned to Karachi the next day. The rescued fishermen were accommodated onboard for the night and later served breakfast by Byco. Byco’s rapid response saved the lives of 09 people.
[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Shehryar Ahmad
General Manager, Communication
Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited
UAN: 111-222-081 Ext. 312
Web: www.byco.com.pk[/box]