Karnataka ethanol test claims disputed by oil companies

Economy · First reported 6 Nov, 12:10 · Updated 13:28

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Karnataka’s Consumer Affairs Minister said state testing found ethanol levels of up to 31.2% in petrol labelled E20. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum disputed the claims and said their E20 fuel meets the applicable standard.

Karnataka Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad said the state collected 63 petrol samples and found ethanol levels as high as 31.2%, compared with the declared 20%.
Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum said the reported claims were not supported by testing that followed prescribed statutory and technical procedures.
The oil companies said their E20 petrol supplied across India, including Karnataka, conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards specification IS 17021.
The reports describe a dispute between the minister’s state test results and the companies’ objections to the testing and sampling procedures.

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Key facts

Samples collected: 63 petrol samples across Karnataka, according to Minister Rizwan Arshad.
Highest reported ethanol level: 31.2%, according to the minister’s account.
Declared level: 20%, according to the minister’s account.
Companies’ stated standard: IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline.