Pakistan may import diesel from India

Buoyed by the peace initiatives between the two countries, Pakistan on Tuesday expressed willingness to import diesel from India.

"We import 4.5-5 million tonnes of diesel every year from Kuwait and other countries. We will be interested in buying diesel from India as it makes more economic sense," Pakistani secretary for petroleum and natural resources M Abdullah Yusuf told PTI on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference in New Delhi.

While India is surplus in diesel production, which it regularly exports to as far as Latin America, Pakistan is a net importer with refining capacity of three million tonnes, and falling short of a demand of 7.5 million tonnes.

Yusuf said Pakistan National Oil Co is talking to Reliance Industries Ltd, which has a refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat.

For Pakistan, importing diesel from Jamnagar refinery across the border and from other refineries in Gujarat and Mumbai will make economic sense as it will cut down transportation cost.

"We are looking at a scenario which makes more economic sense," Yusuf said, adding he has held a round of discussion on diesel import with petroleum secretary B K Chaturvedi.