ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Minister for Energy (Petroleum Division) Omar Ayub Khan on Wednesday inaugurated a state-of-the-art POL and Fuel Analaysis Lab at Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) in Islamabad.
The inauguration was attended by Senior Officials of the Petroleum Division and other prominent experts.
The Petroleum Division had earlier accorded the approval to undertake a major up-gradation plan for the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan, in continuation of its initiative to introduce international best practices in all its organizations.
The plan envisages up-gradation of all POL testing facilities at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, and Multan.
The plan also includes getting the ISO Certification of Petroleum testing laboratory at Islamabad.
The project will be implemented over a two year period and cost Rs 303.698 million.
This would meet a major downstream energy requirement of the Country, i.e. Inefficient and obselte refining operations and substandard Oil products.
This upgradation would also cater to fuel and laboratory analysis of Euro 5 fuels that are essential to a cleaner environment as envisioned by Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.
The Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) is the national petroleum Research & Development (R&D) organization.
It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources established in 1975 under a resolution of the federal government.
The HDIP has been performing quality control function in the field of POL since its inception (1975) under a mandate given by the government through resolution No. DP20(11)/82 of its establishment and Act No. 1 of Parliament 2006 according to which HDIP is assigned to perform the following functions: 1. Evaluation of local and imported crude oils, review of specifications of POL products. 2. Testing of crude oil and petroleum products in relation to prescribed specifications.
Initially, HDIP Laboratories were established at Karachi to provide testing facilities to the Government, its agencies and industry, Oil Marketing Companies, Refineries etc.
In 1980, as per directive of the government, the facilities were expanded by establishing Petroleum Testing and Research Laboratories at Islamabad and four regional Petroleum Testing Centers at Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Quetta.
The equipment for these Laboratories was acquired in 1980s and 1990s, and do not cater analysis of all parameters of prescribed specifications of petroleum products.
