Oil companies reject Karnataka's claim of excess ethanol in petrol
State-run oil marketing companies say findings of up to 31 per cent ethanol were not based on prescribed testing procedures.
State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Friday rejected claims by the Karnataka government that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contained between 26 per cent and 31 per cent ethanol, according to reports by Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express and Rediff.
The Karnataka Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology conducted a testing exercise in October 2026, alleging that petrol samples from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru contained ethanol levels exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent limit.
In a joint statement, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) said the findings were not supported by tests conducted in accordance with prescribed statutory and technical procedures.
The companies questioned the use of third-party laboratory certificates, stating they did not disclose sufficient technical details, such as the specific test standard or dilution procedure, to allow for independent verification.
The OMCs noted that while a September exercise followed proper routing, the October sampling was conducted without their representatives and they had not received retention samples or laboratory reports to seek retesting.
The companies also disputed estimates that the fuel could cause annual consumer mileage losses of Rs 62,000 crore and vehicle repair expenses of Rs 39,000 crore, stating such figures required scientific substantiation.