- State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) said on Friday that additional nationwide testing of E20 petrol found no evidence to support claims of high moisture or chloride contamination, with fuel quality remaining within prescribed limits across the supply chain.
- Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) in a joint statement said the exercise covered the entire supply chain and reaffirmed that fuel quality remained "consistently well within prescribed limits".
- The OMCs said the government has prescribed stringent chloride specifications for ethanol used in petrol blending and has put in place high-frequency monitoring at refineries, distilleries, depots, terminals and retail outlets to ensure compliance.
- More than 100 additional petrol samples collected from refineries showed chloride levels at or below 1 part per million (ppm), while ethanol samples from 80 distilleries tested over the past 10 days recorded chloride content below 3 ppm, OMCs said.
- At retail outlets, more than 160 E20 samples tested over the past few days recorded chloride levels in the 0-3 ppm range, "contrary to the claims of several hundred ppm," OMCs said.
- The surveillance identified two isolated instances of elevated chloride levels, where supplies were immediately suspended pending root-cause analysis and corrective action before restoration.
- Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed concerns over E20 fuel quality, saying attempts were being made to "create some controversy" around the country's ethanol blending programme, and noted that crack teams found only four cases out of 107,000 petrol pumps.
Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs), including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), have defended the quality of E20 fuel following nationwide testing that found no significant contamination.
The OMCs stated that additional tests revealed chloride levels at or below 3 parts per million (ppm), contradicting claims of higher contamination levels. They emphasized that the fuel quality remained "consistently well within prescribed limits" across the supply chain.12
The companies highlighted that the government has established stringent chloride specifications for ethanol used in petrol blending, along with high-frequency monitoring at various stages, including refineries and retail outlets.3
More than 100 petrol samples from refineries showed chloride levels at or below 1 ppm, while ethanol samples from 80 distilleries tested over the past 10 days recorded chloride content below 3 ppm. At retail outlets, over 160 E20 samples tested recently showed chloride levels in the 0-3 ppm range.5
Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed concerns over E20 fuel quality, suggesting that attempts were being made to "create some controversy" around the ethanol blending program. He noted that out of 107,000 petrol pumps, only four cases of elevated chloride levels were found, indicating that the issue was being exaggerated.78
The OMCs also reported two isolated instances of elevated chloride levels, where supplies were suspended pending investigation and corrective action.6
“The testing covered over 100 refinery samples and 80 distilleries, with chloride levels at or below 1 ppm and below 3 ppm respectively. Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed the controversy, noting crack teams found only four cases out of 107,000 petrol pumps.”
