Crude oil theft: NA body seeks details about MOL Pakistan's alleged involvement

National Assembly's Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources has sought details of MOL Pakistan, a Hungarian-based oil & gas exploration and production company, for its alleged involvement in stealing crude oil worth billions of rupees from the system.
At a meeting of the committee held here under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Bilal Ahmed Virk, a member of the committee Akram Khan Durrani blamed the officials of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources for concealing report of an inquiry conducted by FIA against MOL Pakistan. He requested the chairman of the committee to ensure presentation of the FIA report in the committee's next meeting for discussing the same.
Preliminary report of FIA pointed out that the national exchequer was facing losses to the tune of billions of rupee due to theft of crude oil through illegal extraction from the main oil transmission line, use of water bowsers and in connivance with public officials.
The FIA report stated that the allegations under probe are mainly related to the mega theft of crude oil through different modes which include puncturing the main oil transmission line at different place, use of water bowsers for the transportation of stolen oil and illegal enhancement of the storage capacity of the oil tankers to transport the stolen oil from the field in connivance with government servants and others.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum had been informed in February 2015 that MOL in connivance with contractor was stealing the crude oil and causing losses to the national exchequer amounting to billions of rupees. The company had only 9 per cent share in the block, while the remaining 91pc shares were owned by the government through its oil and gas exploration and production companies.