Sinopec Energy Lanka raised the price of Super Diesel by Rs. 28 per litre to Rs. 600, with the new rate taking effect from midnight April 6. The Chinese-owned retailer did not cite a reason for the adjustment.
The state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Indian-owned Lanka IOC have not changed their diesel prices, leaving Sinopec an outlier in the three-player fuel retail market. It is Sinopec’s second Super Diesel price increase in a short window and comes as the Middle East energy crisis continues to squeeze regional refining margins.
Sinopec operates as a private retailer under licence and is not bound by the government’s administered pricing formula at CPC. Its pricing decisions therefore reflect its own import costs and margins rather than the relief measures announced this week. Critically, this means the Rs. 100 per litre diesel subsidy launched April 6 does not automatically apply to Sinopec pumps — consumers using the subsidy can only access it at CPC-branded outlets.
The move widens the gap between private and state-retailed fuel prices at a moment when diesel supply is already rationed and fuel station owners are protesting CPC’s squeezed dealer margins. Sinopec’s willingness to pass on rising costs, while CPC holds prices under political pressure, is likely to redirect queues toward state stations and deepen strain on the rationing system.
Sri Lanka’s wholesale diesel supply remains constrained by the Strait of Hormuz disruption, with only nine shipments scheduled through April to refill Kolonnawa and Muthurajawela storage.
