Oil companies reject Karnataka claims of excess ethanol in petrol
State-run firms dispute findings that ethanol levels in some petrol samples reached 31.2 per cent.
State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs), including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), on Friday rejected claims by the Karnataka government that petrol contained excess ethanol. According to reports from Financial Express, Rediff, and The Pioneer, the companies disputed the state's finding that ethanol levels in certain retail outlets ranged from 26 per cent to 31.2 per cent.
Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad stated that the allegations were based on tests of samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru, and Tumakuru. The state government had alleged that the ethanol content exceeded the prescribed 20 per cent limit and sought action against the companies.
The OMCs issued a joint statement saying their own quality checks across 27 states and Union Territories found blending levels within the prescribed 19-21 per cent range. They noted that 56 samples tested in Karnataka recorded ethanol levels between 19 per cent and 20 per cent, with an average of 19.30 per cent.
The companies questioned the methodology used during the October exercise, noting that samples were reportedly collected without their representatives present. They also raised concerns that a third-party laboratory was used instead of one specified under the applicable Control Order, adding that the certificates lacked sufficient technical details for independent verification.
The OMCs have requested the state to provide the full laboratory reports, sampling documents, and counterpart samples for verification through an authorised laboratory. They stated that any deviations proven through prescribed testing procedures would be addressed under existing guidelines.