Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have rejected recent claims of high chloride levels and moisture contamination in E20 petrol, saying an intensified nationwide testing drive found fuel quality to be well within prescribed limits.
The OMCs said they conducted additional testing across the entire E20 supply chain following recent media reports alleging moisture and chloride contamination in ethanol-blended petrol.
"Contrary to certain assertions being made, there is no evidence of any alarm on account of fuel contamination validated by extensive and scientifically designed tests," the companies said in a press release on August 7.
The OMCs said more than 100 additional petrol samples collected randomly from various refineries showed chloride levels at or below 1 part per million.
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The companies also said a dedicated task force comprising representatives of OMCs and the Centre for High Technology tested ethanol samples from 80 distilleries across the country over the past 10 days. All the samples recorded chloride levels below 3 ppm, according to the release.
Testing was also stepped up at depots and terminals. More than 80 samples collected from OMC terminals across the country showed chloride levels below 3 ppm, the companies said.
At retail outlets, more than 160 E20 samples have been tested in recent days. Chloride levels were found in the range of 0-3 ppm, the OMCs said, countering claims of chloride contamination running into several hundred ppm.
The surveillance programme did, however, identify two isolated instances of elevated chloride levels. The affected outlets were immediately suspended, followed by a detailed root-cause analysis and corrective measures before supplies were restored, according to the release.
The companies have also intensified checks for possible water ingress into underground fuel storage tanks. Around 90,000 retail outlets have commenced mandatory inspections and monitoring of underground storage tanks, with inspections being carried out 8-12 times a day, the OMCs said.
"So far, these inspections have not revealed any water ingress," the companies said.
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The OMCs said mobile fuel-quality testing laboratories have also been deployed at various locations, while test results are being independently validated through fuel laboratories.
The government has prescribed a stringent chloride specification for ethanol used in petrol blending, with monitoring being carried out at multiple points across the supply chain, including refineries, distilleries, depots, terminals and retail outlets.
The OMCs said the intensified testing was aimed at validating fuel quality and addressing any potential issue that could affect vehicle performance or consumer confidence.
The companies have urged consumers to continue using E20 petrol with confidence, saying fuel supplied through the OMC network conforms to prescribed quality specifications and is backed by monitoring systems across the supply chain.
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