PSO TO IMPORT LOW SULPHER HSD ISLAMABAD, JUNE 7 (KUNA) -- PAKISTAN STATE OIL (PSO) IS GOING TO INTRODUCE LOW SULPHUR HIGH SPEED DIESEL (HSD) IMPORTED FROM KUWAIT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PAKISTAN, A PSO SPOKESMAN SAID HERE ON FRIDAY.
HE SAID THE LARGEST OIL MARKETING COMPANY WOULD IMPORT 1.6 MILLION TONNES OF 0.5 PER CENT SULPHUR HSD FROM JULY TO DECEMBER 2002 FROM THE KUWAIT PETROLEUM COMPANY (KPC) THROUGH A TERM CONTRACT. HIGH SULPHUR CONTENT IN DIESEL CAUSES SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS ACID RAIN, POLLUTION OF DRINKING WATER AND DAMAGE TO OZONE LAYER. THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH SULPHUR FUEL OIL ARE TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC AND PRODUCE AIR BORNE PARTICULAR MATTER, WHICH LEADS TO ASTHMA AND LUNG DISEASES.
PAKISTAN IMPORTS APPROXIMATELY 4.8 MILLION TONNES OF HSD EVERY YEAR. OF THIS, PSO IMPORTS 3.3 MILLION TONNES FROM THE KPC THROUGH TERM CONTRACT AND IT IS THE FIRST OIL MARKETING COMPANY (OMC) IN PAKISTAN THAT IS IMPORTING LOW SULPHUR HSD UNDER TERM CONTRACT. (END) MYK.BZ.
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