Indian Oil Firms Deny E20 Petrol Contamination Claims

State-run oil marketing companies Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd dismissed claims that E20 petrol is contaminated with moisture and chloride. Following extensive nationwide testing, the companies reported that fuel quality remains within prescribed limits. Refinery samples showed chloride levels at or below 1 part per million (ppm), while retail samples ranged from 0-3 ppm, contradicting reports that levels had reached several hundred ppm.

To verify these results, the companies implemented water-ingress and density tests 8-12 times daily at retail outlets and inspected underground storage tanks at approximately 90,000 locations. While surveillance identified two isolated instances of elevated chloride levels that led to immediate supply suspensions, officials maintained these cases do not indicate a systemic problem.

Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri characterized the contamination concerns as attempts to create controversy surrounding India's ethanol blending programme. He noted that only four cases were found out of 107,000 petrol pumps. The ministry has uploaded the tabulated test results to the Centre for High Technology website to ensure transparency.