E20 row: Oil companies dispute Karnataka’s findings of excess ethanol in petrol

Three public sector oil marketing companies (OMC) have disputed the Karnataka government's findings that petrol sold at several outlets in the state contained ethanol levels exceeding the prescribed 20% limit. They said the government’s claims were not supported by tests conducted using the prescribed procedures.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, November 6, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) said all E20 petrol supplied across the country, including Karnataka, conformed to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline.

The companies said 893 samples collected from their depots and retail outlets across 27 states and Union Territories were tested under monitoring by the Centre for High Technology (CHT), an arm of the Union Petroleum Ministry. All samples were found to contain ethanol within the prescribed range of 19–21%, they said.

Among the 56 samples collected from different outlets operated by the three companies in Karnataka, the ethanol content samples ranged between 19–20%, with an average of 19.3%, the statement said.

The OMCs questioned the testing process followed by the Karnataka government. They said the samples were collected without the participation of their representatives and that they had not received retention samples, outlet-wise details or laboratory reports, despite seeking them through the state-level coordinator.

They also questioned the use of certificates issued by a third-party laboratory, saying the tests should have been conducted at a laboratory specified under the relevant control order. The certificates, they said, did not contain sufficient technical details to independently verify the reported ethanol content.

The companies said the reported ethanol levels of 26–31% could not be independently validated without details of the testing methodology. They called for a transparent, jointly verifiable testing exercise with the state government.

The OMCs have sought complete sampling documentation, outlet-wise laboratory reports, and details of the testing methods adopted by the state. They have also sought access to counterpart samples for independent testing at an authorised laboratory in the presence of representatives from both sides.

The statement comes after Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad released the state government's findings on Friday, November 6. The government had tested 63 petrol samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru, among other places.

According to the findings, several samples from IOC, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara Energy, Shell, and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) contained ethanol exceeding the prescribed 20% limit. The highest recorded level was 31.2% in a sample from IOC, followed by 30.5% in an HPCL Power sample.

Minister Arshad said the government initiated the testing after receiving complaints from motorists about reduced mileage and frequent vehicle repairs.

The Minister alleged that the in-house laboratories of IOC and BPCL had not disclosed the ethanol content in their reports, despite it being one of the prescribed testing parameters. The samples were subsequently sent to private laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), he said.

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also raised the issue on Saturday. In a post on X, he cited the Karnataka government's findings that 11 of 14 samples tested at an accredited laboratory contained more than 20% ethanol. He accused oil marketing companies of exceeding the prescribed blending limit and described the alleged excess blending as "E20 turned into 420".