Bengaluru, Nov. 7 -- Petrol sold in seven Karnataka districts contained ethanol concentrations as high as 31.2%, with eleven of 14 samples exceeding the 20% blend specified under the Union government's E20 standard, according to the state government. The government said the highest concentration was recorded in a sample collected from an Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) outlet, containing 31.2% ethanol. A sample of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)'s Power petrol had 30.5%, while another sample from the company recorded 27% and a BPCL Speed sample contained 26.5%, it added. Power and Speed are the companies' premium petrol offerings. IOCL, BPCL and HPCL, the three state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs), disputed the findings in a joint statement on Friday. They said the claims, as reported, "are not supported by testing conducted in accordance with the prescribed statutory and technical procedures". The companies said the E20 they supply across the country, including in Karnataka, conforms to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended petrol. They said all 893 E20 samples tested from their depots and outlets across 27 states and Union territories were within the prescribed range of 19-21% ethanol. These tests included included 56 from Karnataka, which recorded between 19% and 20%, with an average of 19.30%. The samples were collected from fuel stations in Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru, covering outlets run by IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara Energy, Shell and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, according to a state government statement. Nayara and Shell are private companies; the rest are owned by the Union government, and account for around 90% of the fuel sold in India. According to the statement, the testing was conducted at the Shriram Research Institute in Bengaluru, measuring ethanol content using gas chromatography. It added that the results showed substantial differences not only between companies but also among samples from the same company. The results are significant because of the controversy surrounding blending. Only vehicles manufactured after April 2023 in India are considered to be E20 compliant, which means that older vehicles could exhibit mileage, performance, and maintenance issues. The Union government has denied this (only accepting a marginal dip in mileage) and also said the supply chains of the oil companies are not flexible enough to give users the option of unblended petrol. The original aim of the blending was to bring down India's oil import bill -- the country imports most of the crude it refines into fuel -- but, in recent years, the programme has also meant the diversion of food crops to make ethanol. The Karnataka government statement said two IOCL samples recorded ethanol concentrations of 31.2% and 20.8%. It added that the concentration in BPCL samples ranged from 19.9% to 26.5%, and those of the Shell samples, 13.5% to 25.5%. The statement said that across all 14 samples, 11 exceeded 20%, the remaining three were below that level, including one at 19.9%. The government said it first sent samples to the in-house laboratories of IOCL and BPCL. "The test reports issued by these laboratories did not disclose the ethanol content of the fuel, despite it being one of the prescribed testing parameters," the statement said. The OMCs said samples from the September exercise were sent to their laboratories through the State Level Coordinator and "tested for the quality parameters requested under the MDG 2024". The state then commissioned independent testing at the Shriram Research Institute, one of India's most respected scientific organisations. The laboratory certificates attached to the statement record the ethanol concentrations in the samples, including 31.2% in an IOCL sample and 30.5% in HPCL Power sample. The state government said the omission in the oil companies' reports raised questions about transparency in fuel marketing. It added that the laboratory findings establish the ethanol content of the samples tested. They do not, by themselves, establish how widespread such concentrations are across the state's fuel supply, the statement clarified. The state government raised concerns about the impact of higher ethanol blends on vehicles designed to operate with lower concentrations. It added that estimates suggest that 99% of India's vehicles were not built to handle blends exceeding E20. The government said even vehicles sold after April 2023 are certified for ethanol blends of only up to 20%. The state's statement estimated that motorists lose Rs 62,000 crore annually through lower fuel efficiency. That calculation assumes a 10% reduction in mileage, annual petrol consumption of 6,200 crore litres and a price of Rs.100 a litre. It separately estimates annual repair costs for vehicle components at Rs.39,000 crore. "With a conservative estimate, consumers are facing a hidden burden of nearly Rs.1.01 lakh crore annually," the statement added. The state government questioned whether fuel dispensing infrastructure was equipped to handle higher ethanol blends. It said most dispensing units at petrol stations were designed for fuel containing up to 15% ethanol and argued that the necessary upgrades might not have been made. The OMCs said the October exercise did not follow the procedure under the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel Control Order, 2005, and the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2024. That procedure requires six one-litre samples, split between the dealer, the oil company or department and a laboratory specified under the order, with jointly signed labels. According to the statement, the October samples were "reportedly" drawn without OMC representatives present. The companies said they had not received retention samples, complete outlet-wise details or laboratory reports, despite asking for them. The companies also questioned the use of a third-party laboratory not specified under the Control Order. They also pointed to density. The certificates record 0.742-0.749 g/cc for samples said to contain 26-31% ethanol, lower than the 0.752-0.760 g/cc the OMCs recorded for E20 in their own surveys. Because ethanol is denser than petrol, a higher blend would ordinarily raise the density, the statement said. On the Rs 1.01 lakh crore estimate, the OMCs cited the petroleum ministry's August 12, 2025 response on ethanol blending. That response put the mileage loss at about 1-2% for vehicles calibrated for E20 and 3-6% for some others. Applying a blanket 10% loss "does not constitute a scientifically established assessment", the companies said. They said the repair estimate needed to be substantiated with vehicle-performance data, materials-compatibility studies and documented repair costs. The companies said blending at refineries and depots is automated and calibrated. They said they had no commercial reason to blend beyond the target, since every additional litre of ethanol adds to procurement costs. The statement did not address the state's claim about dispensing units. The OMCs said they had asked Karnataka for the complete sampling documentation, outlet-wise laboratory reports and test methodology. The state government has asked the Union government to explain the ethanol concentrations found in the samples. It sought clarification on the actual blend being supplied to consumers and sought action against oil marketing companies found selling petrol containing over 20% ethanol. The state government demanded petrol stations across the country display the ethanol content of the fuel they sell. It added that it would continue testing fuel samples and publish the results. It cited the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply and Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, which provides for action against malpractices in fuel supply and distribution....