Petroleum Ministry disputes Karnataka's claim of excess ethanol in petrol
State-run oil companies rejected allegations that petrol in Karnataka contained up to 31 per cent ethanol, citing improper testing procedures.
The Union Petroleum Ministry on Saturday rejected claims by the Karnataka government that petrol at certain retail outlets in the state contained between 26 per cent and 31 per cent ethanol. According to reports from Times Now, The New Indian Express, and Deccan Herald, the ministry asserted that fuel supplies across the country, including Karnataka, comply with the 20 per cent ethanol-blending standard.
State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs), including Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), issued a joint statement saying the findings were not supported by tests conducted under prescribed statutory and technical procedures. The companies stated that their E20 petrol conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards' specification IS 17021.
The dispute involves a testing exercise conducted in October 2026 by the Karnataka Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology. Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad said the allegations were based on samples from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru, and Tumakuru.
The OMCs questioned the October sampling because it was reportedly conducted without their representatives. They noted that the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, requires six one-litre samples to be collected, with specific portions handed to dealers, retained by companies, or sent to designated laboratories.
The companies also flagged that the certificates used by the state were issued by a third-party laboratory rather than one specified under the Control Order. They noted the certificates mentioned gas chromatography but failed to specify the test standard, dilution procedure, or reference material used, making independent verification impossible.
A separate quality-monitoring exercise with the Centre for High Technology (CHT) tested 893 E20 samples across 27 states and Union Territories. The ministry stated all 893 samples recorded ethanol content within the 19-21 per cent range, while 56 samples tested in Karnataka averaged 19.30 per cent.