Oil companies reject Karnataka’s excess-ethanol claim after 893 tests
Testing methods now determine whether drivers can trust E20 petrol
Overview
Motorists in Karnataka face conflicting claims about ethanol levels in petrol. The state tested 63 samples from seven districts and found about 26% to 31.2% ethanol. That is above the 19% to 21% range allowed for E20 petrol under . , and reject the findings. They say their tests used the required method and the state samples were not handled in the same way.
The and the oil companies tested 893 samples from 27 States and Union territories, including 56 from Karnataka. All measured 19% to 21%; Karnataka’s ranged from 19% to 20%, with an average of 19.30%. The dispute concerns how samples were collected, sealed, moved, stored and tested, and how results were worked out. Until those issues are settled, drivers face doubts about fuel quality, vehicle fit and warranties. Trust in India’s wider plan to cut emissions through ethanol could also fall.
Timeline
Conflicting ethanol tests leave Karnataka’s E20 dispute unresolved
Karnataka-linked testing reportedly found ethanol levels above the prescribed range, including results up to 31.2%, while IOCL, BPCL and HPCL reported that all 893 samples tested across 27 states and Union Territories, including 56 from Karnataka, fell within the 19–21% standard. The conflicting results leave questions about sampling and testing methods unresolved.[1][3][4][6]
Oil companies reported that 56 Karnataka samples stayed within the E20 range
The companies said their exercise included 56 Karnataka samples drawn from different locations and covering all three public-sector oil marketing companies. Those samples reportedly measured between 19% and 20% ethanol, with an . The result directly conflicted with Karnataka’s reported readings of roughly 26% to 31.2%, but the available statements did not establish that both datasets used identical .
The Centre and oil companies found all 893 nationwide samples within the E20 range
The OMC and tested 893 samples collected from depots and retail outlets across 27 States and Union territories. The sample total included 330 from IOCL, 280 from BPCL and 283 from HPCL. The companies said every sample fell within the prescribed 19% to 21% ethanol range, using their quality-control laboratory network.
The Centre cited IS 17021 as the benchmark for E20 petrol
The applicable BIS IS 17021 specification sets the prescribed ethanol range for E20 petrol at 19% to 21%. The Centre and the oil companies said ethanol content was tested under IS 17021, , using refinery and oil-company quality-control laboratories. That benchmark became the basis for comparing Karnataka’s higher readings with the companies’ compliance results.
Oil companies rejected Karnataka’s findings and challenged the testing process
IOCL, BPCL and HPCL said their E20 petrol complied with the specification . The companies argued that Karnataka’s reported results did not follow prescribed statutory and technical procedures, but the public responses left unresolved whether the samples had comparable collection, storage, laboratory and calculation methods. They sought fresh or properly conducted testing rather than accepting the state’s readings as conclusive.
Karnataka reported excess ethanol in petrol samples from seven districts
The Karnataka tested 63 petrol samples collected in Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru. The state said some samples contained ethanol well above the limit, including readings of about 26% to 31.2% from outlets operated by IOCL, HPCL, BPCL and private suppliers. The findings raised questions about fuel quality, vehicle compatibility and consumer protection.