The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), conducted nationwide intensive testing of the E20 petrol supply chain following media reports about moisture and chloride contamination. The comprehensive testing covered the entire supply chain from refineries to retail outlets, with results confirming that fuel quality remains consistently within prescribed limits.
Testing revealed that chloride content in petrol from refineries is well within 1 ppm, based on over 100 randomly selected samples. Ethanol supplied by distilleries showed chloride levels significantly below prescribed specifications, with a dedicated task force checking samples from 80 distilleries across the country finding all samples had chloride content less than 3 ppm.
At marketing infrastructure points, more than 80 samples collected from various OMC terminals showed chloride content below 3 ppm. Under the intensified monitoring program of more than 1,000 samples, 160 test reports analyzed showed chloride levels in the range of 0-3 ppm, contrary to claims of several hundred ppm. The surveillance system identified only four isolated instances of elevated chloride levels, which were immediately suspended followed by root-cause analysis and corrective measures before supply restoration.
Regarding water ingress testing, approximately 90,000 retail outlets have commenced mandatory inspection and monitoring of underground storage tanks, conducted 8-12 times daily, with no water ingress detected so far. OMCs have further strengthened surveillance through mobile fuel quality testing laboratories deployed across locations, with test results being independently validated through fuel laboratories.
The government has instituted a high-frequency monitoring mechanism with chloride monitoring at multiple points including refineries, distilleries, depots/terminals, and retail outlets nationwide. Test results are available on the official website of CHT (www.cht.gov.in) and will be updated as more results become available.