Petroleum Rules 1937
Forms, Process & Fees

The Petroleum Rules 1937 decide which licence you need to import, store or transport petroleum and petroleum-based chemicals in Pakistan, and what your premises must look like before the licence is granted. Here is a plain-language guide to the forms, process, documents and official fees.

Legal Basics

What Are the Petroleum Act 1934 and Petroleum Rules 1937?

The Petroleum Act 1934 is the main law. It makes it an offence to import, store or transport petroleum without a licence, beyond small exempt quantities. The Petroleum Rules 1937 are made under the Act and contain the working detail: licence forms, application procedure, construction and safety standards, distances, fire-fighting arrangements, transport conditions and inspections.

Since the 2023 amendment, any petroleum product or petrochemical with a flash point below 93°C counts as petroleum, in three classes:

Class A: flash point below 24°C
Class B: 24°C to 55°C
Class C: 55°C to 93°C

The licences are issued by the Department of Explosives under the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) through its regional offices, with larger cases such as petrol pumps and depots approved at its Head Office in Islamabad. Applications are now filed on its e-portal. LPG plants and oil marketing companies also need OGRA approval; see our LPG plant licence page.

Licence Forms

Under the Petroleum Rules 1937

Form K: petrol pumps
Form L: bulk storage at depots and factories
Form M: godowns storing in drums and packages
Form N, O and P: LPG fuelling, LPG plants and industrial LPG storage
Form Q and R: road transport of petroleum and LPG
Form B-1 and S: CNG stations and CNG jumbo tube transport
Form C: import and storage of calcium carbide

Documents Required

Applied for on Form D

Application on Form D, filled in and signed
Land ownership documents, or a registered lease or tenancy
Owner CNIC, SECP registration, Memorandum and Articles, NTN
Original Deputy Commissioner NOC with attested site plan
Proposed site plan or installation drawings
Treasury challan of the prescribed fee
For a bulk depot: OGRA provisional marketing licence

How the Licensing Process Works

Licence Fees Published by the Department of Explosives

Form M (godown): Rs. 25,000 fixed (SRO 42(KE)/2020)
Form K (petrol pump): Rs. 6,000 per product, plus Rs. 35,000 for a tuck shop and Rs. 5,000 each for a tyre puncture shop, ATM or service station
Form L (depot): Rs. 30,000 per product up to 500,000 litres; Rs. 80,000 per product above that
Form Q (tanker): Rs. 2,000 for grant of licence

Fees are revised from time to time, so confirm the current amount before you pay. Construction, drawings and NOC costs are separate; try our DPL cost estimator. Not sure which form you need? Compare them on our licence forms and grants page, read how to get a DPL license, or see the construction standards in our storage regulations guide.

Sources: Department of Explosives, Government of Pakistan licence process documents; Petroleum Act 1934 as amended in 2023. General information, not legal advice.

Petroleum Rules FAQs

What is the Petroleum Rules 1937?

The Petroleum Rules 1937 are made under the Petroleum Act 1934. They set out how petroleum is imported, stored, transported and handled in Pakistan, which licence form applies to which activity, and the construction and safety conditions licensed premises must meet.

Who issues licences under the Petroleum Rules 1937?

The Department of Explosives, under the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division), issues these licences through its regional offices and its Head Office in Islamabad. Petroleum licence applications are now filed through its e-portal.

Which petroleum products need a licence?

Since the 2023 amendment of the Petroleum Act, any petroleum product or petrochemical with a flash point below 93°C counts as petroleum and needs a licence above the exempt quantities. It is divided into Class A (below 24°C), Class B (24°C to 55°C) and Class C (55°C to 93°C).