Fuel Row: OMCs Slam Karnataka Govt's Claims Over E20 Petrol Quality
IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL refute Karnataka government claims of excess ethanol in petrol, questioning the testing methods and reported losses.
India's three major public sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs)—Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)—have strongly refuted claims made by the Government of Karnataka regarding the ethanol content in petrol sold at various retail outlets in the state.
The controversy erupted after the Karnataka Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology issued a press release alleging that petrol at certain outlets contained ethanol levels between 26% and 31%, significantly exceeding the E20 standard. In a sharp rebuttal, the OMCs asserted that these claims are not backed by testing conducted according to prescribed statutory and technical procedures.
Adherence to National Standards
The three OMCs clarified that the E20 petrol they supply across India, including in Karnataka, strictly conforms to IS 17021, which is the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline. They maintained that their fuel quality remains consistent with national mandates.
Questioning the Testing Methodology
The oil companies have raised serious concerns regarding the sampling and testing process used during the October 2026 exercise. According to the OMCs, the procedure followed by the state authorities bypassed the legal requirements laid out in the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, and the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2024.
The OMCs highlighted the mandatory sampling protocol that was allegedly ignored:
- Sample Distribution: Six one-litre samples must be drawn. Two are given to the dealer, two are retained by the oil company or department, and two are sent to a specified laboratory.
- Verification: Sample labels must be jointly signed.
- Communication: Test results must be communicated to both the dealer and the oil company within a set timeframe.
The OMCs pointed out that while a September 2026 exercise followed these rules, the October exercise reportedly involved samples drawn without the participation of OMC representatives. Furthermore, the companies claim they have not received retention samples, detailed outlet-wise data, or official laboratory reports despite requesting them through the State Level Coordinator.
Technical Gaps in Third-Party Reports
A major point of contention is the use of a third-party laboratory. The OMCs stated that the findings rely on certificates from a lab not specified under the Control Order. They argued that these certificates lack the necessary technical details to independently verify the ethanol content.
Under IS 17021:2018, ethanol content must be determined using specific methods:
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) under ASTM D5845.
- Water extraction under Annex C.
- Gas Chromatography under ASTM D4815/D6839.
The OMCs noted that when Gas Chromatography is used, the sample must be diluted in a 1:1 ratio with oxygenate-free petrol and corrected against an E10 certified reference material. However, the Karnataka government's cited certificates only mention "Ethanol % by Gas Chromatography" without specifying the standard method, dilution procedure, or reference material used. Consequently, the reported figures of 26–31% cannot be validated.
Rejection of Massive Financial Loss Claims
Beyond the technical dispute, the OMCs have dismissed the staggering financial estimates released by the state. The Karnataka government had claimed an estimated annual consumer mileage loss of approximately ₹62,000 crore and vehicle repair costs of about ₹39,000 crore, totaling a loss of roughly ₹1.01 lakh crore. The oil companies rejected these figures, stating that such claims require careful and rigorous examination.