National Refinery Limited (NRL)

NATIONAL REFINERY LIMITED

Introduction

National Refinery Limited (NRL) was incorporated as a public limited company at Karachi in 1963. Government of Pakistan took over the management of NRL under the Economic Reforms Order, 1972. Presently NRL is under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources which is exercising control through its shareholding in State Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Corporation (PERAC).

NRL is highly reputed for the quality of its products. The NRL Quality Control Laboratories have ISO 9002 Certification. The Company’s Environmental Management System has been accorded ISO 14001 Certification and its Occupational Health & Safety Management System has been accorded OHSAS 18001 Certification.

NRL is a petroleum refining and petrochemical complex producing a wide range of fuels, lubes, BTX (petrochemicals), asphalts and specialty products for domestic consumption and export. It is located on a plot comprising 263 acres in the Korangi Industrial Area of Karachi. 

It is proposed to privatise NRL through sale of up to 51% equity and transfer of management control to a strategic investor. Citigroup Global Markets Limited is the financial advisor for this privatisation.

NRL Capacity

The company’s refineries have a combined crude oil processing capacity of 2,710,500 tonnes per annum (tpa). NRL’s two lube refineries have a combined designed production capacity of 176,200 tpa of lube base oils (LBO) and its BTX unit has a designed production capacity of 25,000 tpa. NRL enjoys a competitive edge as it is the only refinery producing LBO in Pakistan. Details of the different plants are given below.

• First Lube Refinery
• Hydroskimming Fuel Refinery
• Second Lube Refinery
• BTX (petrochemical) Plant

NRL’s gross storage capacity, both at the refinery site in Korangi and at Keamari harbour, comprises about 163,000 tonnes (20 days) for crude and 90,000 tonnes for petroleum products. The petroleum products are pumped from NRL storage tanks to oil marketing company (OMC) terminals or to Karachi airport by pipelines.