State-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reiterated that E20 petrol supplied in Karnataka meets prescribed quality standards, citing test results showing ethanol content of up to 19.9 per cent in samples collected in the state.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) said on Monday that a petrol sample tested in the presence of customers recorded 19.9 per cent ethanol, describing the result as evidence of transparent testing and compliance with fuel quality requirements.
“Facts verified, confidence reinforced,” the company said in a post on X.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), meanwhile, referred to the findings from 56 samples tested by public sector OMCs in Karnataka. It said the samples recorded an average ethanol content of 19.3 per cent.
HPCL also stressed that fuel quality assessments must follow prescribed testing procedures and use certified reference materials, underlining the importance of scientific methodology in determining results.
The statements come amid allegations of excessive ethanol blending in petrol at certain retail outlets in Karnataka. Earlier this month, the government rejected claims that samples from the state had recorded ethanol levels of 26 to 31 per cent, questioning the methodology used in an October testing exercise.
According to the government, all 56 samples collected in Karnataka under a nationwide quality monitoring exercise complied with E20 specifications, recording ethanol content between 19 and 20 per cent.
The Ministry also said petrol supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, BPCL and HPCL conforms to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline.
It cited the sampling and testing procedures prescribed under the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, read with the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024.
The government said the oil companies had not been provided with corresponding retention samples, complete outlet-wise details or laboratory reports from the October exercise, despite seeking the information through the State Level Coordinator.
It further stated that all 893 E20 samples collected from 27 states and Union Territories during the nationwide monitoring exercise contained ethanol within the prescribed range of 19 to 21 per cent.
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