Pakistan’s biggest oil refiner Cnergyico said it has recently bought Black Sea CPC Blend, marking the country’s first import of this grade.

CPC Blend is a light grade of oil from Kazakh and Russian producers which is loaded for export from Russia’s Black Sea port of Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka and is largely used to produce gasoline for cars or petrochemicals.

“We have purchased CPC Blend crude oil … CPC Blend crude oil produces more motor gasoline and lower fuel oil than Urals, which adds to its suitability,” a Cnergyico spokesperson said.

The CPC Blend was bought after “conducting due diligence on the transaction in accordance with our policies and procedures,” the spokesperson said, without providing further details.

“Pakistan’s crude slate is dominated by Saudi and Emirati grades. The Cnergyico refinery in Balochistan tends to be more entrepreneurial with its feedstock, mixing cargoes from the UAE and Russia”, head of crude oil analysis at Kpler energy consultancy Viktor Katona said.

Cnergyico said it purchased Russian Urals oil in 2023, making the country’s first private-sector shipment of Russian crude oil. Prior to that purchase, Pakistan’s government bought Russian oil under a government-to-government agreement.

Cnergyico says it has refining capacity of 156,000 barrels per day.

Two tankers carrying 100,000 metric tons each delivered CPC Blend to Cnergyico’s single point mooring buoy (SPM) near Karachi in August and September, data from LSEG and energy consultancy Kpler showed.

The SPM is Pakistan’s only floating liquid port and allows Cnergyico to pump oil and products to its refinery storage tanks 15 kilometres away through undersea and onshore pipes.