New Delhi, Nov 7 The Petroleum Ministry on Saturday disputed claims by the Karnataka government that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contained 26-31 per cent ethanol, saying tests conducted by state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) found supplies across the country, including Karnataka, compliant with the prescribed 20 per cent blending standard.
In a statement, the ministry said Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) had questioned the sampling and testing procedures used in an October 2026 exercise, arguing that the reported findings could not be independently verified under the prescribed statutory and technical standards.
The three companies said E20 petrol supplied through their nationwide networks conformed to the Bureau of Indian Standards’ specification IS 17021.
The OMCs have sought complete sampling records, outlet-wise laboratory reports and access to counterpart samples for independent testing, the ministry said.
The dispute centres on whether the Karnataka exercise followed the sampling and testing procedures prescribed under the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, and the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2024.
These rules, the ministry said, require six one-litre samples to be collected, with two handed to the dealer, two retained by the oil company or department and two sent to a designated laboratory. Sample labels must be jointly signed, and test results communicated to the dealer and oil company within the prescribed timeframe.
Samples collected during a September 2026 exercise were routed through the State Level Coordinator to designated OMC laboratories and tested for specified quality parameters, the companies said.
However, samples collected during the subsequent October exercise were reportedly drawn without OMC representatives, they added.
The companies added that they have not received the corresponding retention samples, complete outlet-wise details or laboratory reports despite seeking them through the State Level Coordinator.
The OMCs also questioned the use of certificates issued by a third-party laboratory rather than a laboratory specified under the Control Order.
Under IS 17021:2018, as amended in August 2025, ethanol content must be determined using prescribed methods, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, water extraction or Gas Chromatography under specified ASTM standards.
The certificates cited in the Karnataka press release mention ethanol content measured through gas chromatography but do not specify the applicable test standard, dilution procedure or reference material used, the statement said.
The oil companies, it said, also flagged density readings of 0.742-0.749 grams per cubic centimetre in samples reportedly containing 26-31 per cent ethanol, compared with 0.752-0.760 g/cc in E20 samples tested by the OMCs. Since ethanol has a higher density than petrol, the discrepancy warrants further examination, they said.
The ministry cited a separate quality-monitoring exercise conducted with the Centre for High Technology (CHT), under which 893 E20 samples collected across 27 states and Union Territories were tested.
All 893 samples, collected from IOC, BPCL and HPCL depots and retail outlets, recorded ethanol content within the prescribed 19-21 per cent range, according to the ministry.
In Karnataka, all 56 samples tested across different locations and involving the three OMCs contained 19-20 per cent ethanol, with an average of 19.30 per cent.
The ministry also rejected estimates that E20 fuel had caused annual consumer mileage losses of about Rs 62,000 crore and vehicle repair costs of Rs 39,000 crore.
It said studies by an inter-ministerial committee, Indian Oil, the Automotive Research Association of India and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers had examined the impact of ethanol blending on vehicle performance.
The ministry said vehicles calibrated for E20 could experience mileage reductions of around 1-2 per cent, and some other vehicles could see declines of 3-6 per cent, depending on vehicle category and calibration.
Applying a blanket assumption of 10% mileage loss across the vehicle population to calculate national consumer losses was not scientifically established, the ministry said.
The government has promoted ethanol blending as part of efforts to reduce crude oil imports, strengthen energy security and support agricultural incomes.
Since the 2014-15 ethanol supply year, the programme has generated foreign-exchange savings of more than Rs 1.97 lakh crore, substituted about 316 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 952 lakh metric tonnes, according to the ministry. It has also resulted in payments of more than Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers.
During the 2025-26 ethanol supply year, which ended on October 31, 2026, public-sector OMCs procured 1,089 crore litres of ethanol and blended 1,134 crore litres against petrol sales of about 5,673 crore litres, the ministry said.
The three OMCs have asked the Karnataka government to provide complete sampling documentation and laboratory reports and allow independent testing of counterpart samples at an authorised laboratory in the presence of state government and company representatives.
The ministry said the companies were willing to participate in joint sampling and testing in accordance with the prescribed guidelines and that any deviations established through the process would be addressed under applicable rules.
(PTI News)
