BPCL confirms 280 E20 tests: assurance for fuel buyers

(New Delhi, 13.11.2026 – By NewsIP Bureau)

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has clarified that a photo shared during an E20 petrol demonstration in Karnataka showed an intermediate stage of the ethanol separation test, not its final reading. The sample tested was within prescribed specifications, the company said in a statement dated November 13, 2026.

The demonstration uses 100 ml of E20 Ethanol Blended Motor Spirit (EBMS) mixed with 30 ml of water to separate ethanol from petrol. BPCL said the mixture can initially look hazy or milky and needs time for the ethanol-water and petrol layers to separate fully.

In the instance prompting the clarification, the photograph was captured and shared before that separation was complete. BPCL said the officer removed the post after realising the image could be misinterpreted. The company said the sample itself met the prescribed specifications.

BPCL said E20 supplied through its retail outlets is monitored under established quality-assurance mechanisms and applicable Bureau of Indian Standards requirements under IS 17021. The clarification addresses the test image; it does not change the stated quality standard.

A wider monitoring exercise by Oil Marketing Companies, in coordination with the Centre for High Technology, covered 893 E20 samples across 27 States and Union Territories. BPCL said all were within the prescribed ethanol-content range of 19–21%. The exercise included 280 samples tested by BPCL.

The sample count and results provide the broader context for the company’s response: BPCL’s 280 samples were part of a nationwide exercise, and the initial milky appearance in the Karnataka demonstration was not the final test reading. The source statement does not identify the station or give the date of that demonstration. It also does not announce a date for further testing or a new quality decision.

Consumers can find more coverage in Click Here For NewsIP’s business and PSU coverage. BPCL encouraged consumers and other stakeholders to rely on tests performed through prescribed procedures and verified quality-assessment mechanisms.