31.2% ethanol in E20: oil companies reject Karnataka’s findings
New Delhi: Public sector oil companies have rejected the Karnataka government's findings that petrol sold in the state contains up to 31.2% ethanol, claiming that their fuel complies with prescribed standards while questioning the procedures followed in the state's investigation.
In a joint statement, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) claimed that the E20 petrol supplied through their retail outlets in Karnataka and other states meets the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications under IS 17021. The companies maintained that E20 fuel contains between 19% and 21% ethanol.
However, rather than addressing the specific findings of the state's tests, the companies have questioned the sampling process, the participation of their representatives and the reliability of the laboratory certificates.
Karnataka had announced on Friday that tests on petrol samples collected from various outlets showed ethanol concentrations as high as 31.2%, well above the prescribed 20% limit. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad had said the findings raised serious concerns over fuel quality.
The companies claimed that the October inspections were conducted without their representatives and that they were not provided with retained samples, details of the petrol outlets or laboratory reports. They also questioned the third-party laboratories' failure to disclose sufficient information about their testing methods, arguing that the certificates could not independently establish the reported ethanol levels.
They further alleged that the testing did not follow procedures prescribed under the 2005 Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel Order and the 2024 Marketing Discipline Guidelines. These rules, according to the companies, require six one-litre samples to be collected, with copies retained by the petrol pump, oil company and testing laboratory.
The companies also pointed to alleged discrepancies in the density measurements recorded in the laboratory certificates. Samples reported to contain 26% to 31% ethanol had densities ranging from 0.742 to 0.749 grams per cubic centimetre, while their own E20 samples recorded densities of 0.752 to 0.760 grams per cubic centimetre.
Karnataka tested 63 samples collected from Bengaluru and six other districts. Some samples from IOC, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara Energy, Shell and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) reportedly exceeded the 20% benchmark. The investigation followed motorists' complaints of reduced mileage and frequent vehicle maintenance.