The annual report of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) showing its performance and the measures taken during 2018-19, to safeguard public interest through effective regulation in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector was issued here on Tuesday.

The report stated that the authority, during 2018-19 conducted inspections at 447 fuel outlets and issued 182 show cause notices for overcharging, less filling and non-conforming quality, imposing penalty of Rs 64.57 million

Besides, OGRA instantly redressed as many as 663 complaints received against different outlets under the ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ initiative.

To ensure provision of quality petroleum products across the country, the authority, through Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), made 460 quality checks of imported energy products and 725 quality checks for imported non-energy products.

Similarly, 368 & 1,508 quality checks were carried out at lube blending plants and oil depots respectively.

Moreover, 267 quality checks were performed at oil refineries and 53 quality checks at WOP’s (While Oil Pipeline) Terminal Stations.

During the year 2018-19, OGRA granted nine provisional licences to construct storage facilities before establishing Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), paving the way for an investment of around Rs 4.5 billion in oil infrastructure over the next three years.

The authority also granted permission to six companies including LaGuardia Petroleum (Pvt.) Limited (Sindh), Oil Industries Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited (Punjab), Euro Oil (Pvt.) Limited (Punjab), Flow Petroleum (Pvt.) Limited (Punjab), Taj Gasoline (Pvt.) Limited (Sindh) and Hi Tech Lubricants Limited (Punjab)] to initiate marketing of petroleum products (after fulfilling their obligation of constructing oil storage infrastructure) to the extent of Region / Province specified along with each OMC.

It granted permission for operation of new/additional oil storages to Hascol Petroleum Limited at Kotlajam and Shikarpur; Be Energy Limited at Machike, Flow Petroleum at Attock, Laguardia at Daulatpur, Oil Industries (Pvt.) Limited at Sahiwal, Euro Oil at Sahiwal, Taj Gasoline at Shikarpur and Hi-Tech Lubricants at Sahiwal.

In addition to operations, OGRA also granted permission for construction of new oil storages to Attock Petroleum Limited at Sahiwal & Machike, Total Parco Pakistan Limited at Shikarpur & Machike; Gas and Oil Pakistan Limited at Rahim Yar Khan & Hub and Jinn Petroleum at Hub.

During the one-year period, OGRA granted licence for construction of a new Oil Refinery (Khyber Oil Refinery) with the capacity of 20,000 barrel per day designed on local crude, which was expected to be constructed within five years at the cost of US$ 500 Million.

The authority granted eleven licences to Lube Oil Blending Plants for construction and operation, and eleven licences to Lubricant Marketing Companies (LMCs) for import of lube oil in the country.