Karnataka petrol ethanol findings disputed; ministry cites compliant tests
November 13 update: state allegations disputed by oil companies and ministry
Karnataka's allegations of excessive ethanol in petrol remain disputed, rather than established findings accepted by all parties. The published report's November 12 report says the state cited tests from seven districts, including a reported 31.2% result. It also records the response of Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum. The earlier November 7 account below is retained as a dated report of the state's claim, not a final finding that the companies supplied non-compliant fuel.
A November 7 statement from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, published by the Press Information Bureau and checked for this update, says the applicable IS 17021 specification permits an ethanol-content range of 19% to 21%. It is therefore misleading to treat every reading slightly above exactly 20% as proof of a breach. The ministry says all 893 samples in an oil-company quality exercise across 27 states and union territories were within that range. Its 56 Karnataka samples were reported at 19% to 20%, averaging 19.30%. These are the ministry and companies' results, not independent tests conducted by this publication.
The disagreement also concerns how samples were drawn, retained and tested. The ministry says the companies had not received the complete outlet-wise reports and counterpart samples from the October exercise. It says certificates mentioning gas chromatography did not show the full method, dilution and reference-material details needed to validate the reported readings. The companies sought records and joint independent testing under the prescribed procedure. Those objections do not by themselves establish that every state result is false; they identify what remains contested and needs verification.
The published report also reports the state minister's concern about mileage and components and the opposition's demand for action. Such claims should not be turned into a diagnosis of any reader's vehicle. The ministry disputes a blanket 10% mileage-loss assumption and says effects depend on vehicle type and calibration. This update has not inspected the original state laboratory reports or verified the outcome of a joint retest, compensation decision or enforcement finding. The older wording about another sample being still higher is not a newly verified numerical result.
In India, the central government is implementing a programme of blending ethanol made from agricultural products such as sugarcane and maize into petrol. E20 petrol, containing 20 per cent ethanol, is currently in use.
As questions continue to arise about this level of ethanol blending and vehicle performance, a petrol quality test conducted by the Karnataka government has sparked debate across the country.
According to information released by Karnataka's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad, samples were collected from petrol stations in seven districts, including Bengaluru, and tested at a research institute.
The study reportedly found 31.2 per cent ethanol blending in a sample from one leading petroleum company, and an even higher level in a sample from another company. This has caused great concern among vehicle owners.
Vehicle owners have long complained that higher ethanol content reduces fuel efficiency and can affect older engines not designed for such blends. The findings are likely to intensify calls for clearer labelling at fuel stations and stricter quality monitoring of blending levels across the country.
