An exclusive interview with Mr. M. Adil Khattack, CEO, Attock Refinery
Adil Khattak, CEO of Attock Refinery Limited since 2005 has been associated with The Attock Oil Group for almost 50 years. He has extensive experience in engineering, maintenance, human resource management, project management and marketing. Followings are extracts from his exclusive interview with Pakistan & Gulf Economist:
PAGE: Attock is the first refinery established in Rawalpindi. Tell us about its decades of experience.
Adil Khattak:Â Attock Refinery (ARL) has a proud history spanning more than a century and is among the oldest operating refineries in the region. Its origins can be traced to the discovery of oil at Khaur in 1915, recognized as the first commercial oil discovery in what is now Pakistan and one of the earliest in the subcontinent.
Refining operations commenced in February 1922 at Morgah, Rawalpindi, with two small units having a combined capacity of 2,500 barrels per day. Over the past 104 years, ARL has evolved into a modern refinery with a nameplate capacity of 53,400 barrels per day.
Throughout this journey, ARL has played a pioneering role in Pakistan’s petroleum refining industry, contributing to industrial development, technological advancement and the country’s energy requirements while maintaining a strong emphasis on safety, environmental protection and product quality.
PAGE: How have its operations grown over the years?
Adil Khattak: ARL’s growth has been driven by successive phases of expansion and modernization in response to increasing indigenous crude oil production, changing market requirements and technological developments.
Notable milestones include the early production of low sulphur diesel and furnace oil in 1988, the introduction of low lead premium gasoline in 1999, and the installation of a Heavy Crude Unit and Catalytic Reformer. A major expansion and upgradation project completed in 2016 further enhanced refining capabilities, motor gasoline production and diesel quality.
ARL has also been an early adopter of international management standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001, reflecting its commitment to operational efficiency and environmental performance.
We are now embarking on another significant phase of modernization following the signing of the Refinery Upgrade Agreement on 24 September 2026. The planned investment of approximately US$600 million will focus on meeting the requirements of the Brownfield Refining Policy, including the production of cleaner Euro-V fuels and increasing motor gasoline production.
PAGE: It is believed that Attock Refinery operates entirely on indigenous crude oil. How has the experience been?
Adil Khattak: Yes, ARL is the only refinery in Pakistan operating entirely on indigenous crude oil, sourced from various oilfields across the country, particularly in the Potohar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions. This distinctive capability supports Pakistan’s upstream exploration and production industry while contributing directly to national energy security.
As the only refinery in northern Pakistan, ARL occupies a strategically important position. By processing domestically produced crude into essential petroleum products, we reduce reliance on imported crude and finished products, support import substitution and help the country conserve valuable foreign exchange.
The importance of this capability has become particularly evident during recent geopolitical disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz. While refineries dependent on imported crude, understandably, remain exposed to international shipping routes and associated supply risks, ARL’s indigenous crude supply chain provides an important degree of resilience. Our ability to source crude domestically and produce finished petroleum products within Pakistan helps maintain continuity of supplies, particularly in the northern region, during periods of international uncertainty.
Over the years, ARL has developed considerable technical expertise in processing indigenous crude oils ranging from light to heavy grades, supported by an established network of pipelines and road tankers connecting producing fields to the refinery.
PAGE: What is your opinion about Pakistan’s oil refining capacity? Do we need more refineries?
Adil Khattak: Pakistan’s 5 refineries currently have an installed refining capacity of approximately 450,000 barrels per day. However, capacity utilization has remained below potential for various reasons, including challenges in the upliftment of furnace oil due to declining domestic demand and the influx of smuggled high-speed diesel, which has undermined legitimate market demand and, at times, forced refineries to curtail production.
The immediate priority should therefore be to optimize and modernize existing refineries rather than simply add capacity. The recently signed Refinery Upgrade Agreements represent a major step in this direction, with planned investments of approximately US$5–6 billion.
Following these upgrades, the country’s motor gasoline production is expected to increase by approximately 70%, high-speed diesel by around 40%, while furnace oil production is projected to decline by approximately 65%. These investments will improve fuel quality, reduce dependence on imported finished products and generate foreign exchange savings.