Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Friday dismissed concerns over the ethanol content of E20 petrol, saying a photograph circulating on social media from a fuel-quality demonstration in Karnataka had been taken before the testing process was completed and did not reflect the final result.
The state-owned oil marketing company said the image showed an intermediate stage of an ethanol separation test, during which a mixture of petrol and water initially appears hazy or milky before the two layers separate completely.
According to BPCL, the photograph was inadvertently shared before the separation process was complete. The officer concerned subsequently removed the post to prevent misinterpretation.
The company maintained that the fuel sample tested during the demonstration was within the prescribed specifications.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ'๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
The clarification came amid growing scrutiny of E20 petrol, which contains 20 per cent ethanol blended with petrol, following allegations that fuel being sold in Karnataka contained ethanol levels exceeding the prescribed limit.
The Karnataka government has alleged that oil marketing companies were supplying petrol with ethanol content significantly above the permitted E20 range.
According to the state government's findings, tests conducted on samples collected from seven districts reportedly showed ethanol concentrations reaching as high as 31.2 per cent.
The allegations triggered concerns among consumers over fuel quality, compliance with blending standards and the accuracy of testing procedures.
However, the Centre and the three state-run oil marketing companies rejected the allegations, maintaining that their nationwide testing exercise found no samples exceeding the prescribed ethanol content range of 19-21 per cent.
They also questioned the sampling and testing methodology adopted by the Karnataka government and called for joint testing to resolve the differences.
๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
BPCL said its officers had been conducting fuel-quality demonstrations at retail outlets across Karnataka as part of a consumer awareness initiative.
The ethanol separation test involves mixing 100 ml of E20 ethanol-blended petrol with 30 ml of water to separate the ethanol from the petrol.
During the initial stage, the mixture becomes cloudy, which the company described as a normal part of the process.
The mixture must then be allowed sufficient time for the ethanol-water and petrol layers to separate fully before the ethanol content can be assessed.
BPCL said the viral photograph was captured during this intermediate stage and therefore could not be treated as evidence of excessive ethanol blending.
The company reiterated that fuel supplied through its retail network was monitored through established quality-assurance mechanisms and complied with Bureau of Indian Standards specification IS 17021.
๐๐น๐น ๐ด๐ต๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐
Citing a nationwide quality-monitoring exercise undertaken by oil marketing companies in coordination with the Centre for High Technology (CHT), BPCL said 893 E20 petrol samples were tested across 27 states and Union Territories.
The exercise included 56 samples collected from Karnataka.
According to the company, all 893 samples were found to contain ethanol within the prescribed range of 19-21 per cent.
Of the total, 280 samples were tested by BPCL, which said the findings reaffirmed compliance with the applicable fuel-quality standards.
The company maintained that the results demonstrated the effectiveness of existing monitoring mechanisms and contradicted allegations of widespread excessive ethanol blending.
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐
The controversy comes as India expands the use of ethanol-blended petrol to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, lower emissions and support domestic ethanol producers.
E20 petrol has also attracted consumer attention over its potential implications for vehicle compatibility, fuel efficiency and mileage.
While the government has promoted ethanol blending as part of its broader energy-security strategy, questions over quality standards and accurate blending levels have remained central to public debate.
BPCL urged consumers and other stakeholders to rely on verified testing procedures and established quality-assessment mechanisms rather than drawing conclusions from incomplete demonstrations or photographs.
The company reiterated its commitment to maintaining fuel quality and consumer confidence, asserting that E20 petrol supplied through its retail outlets complied with prescribed specifications.