The country’s oil marketing companies (OMCs) are regularly monitoring the quality of fuel being dispensed at retail outlets, the government said following claims of fuel adulteration due to high chloride levels.

The government would take strict action if contamination is found at any retail outlet, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) said in a post on social media platform X. OMCs have been instructed to take proactive steps to detect any possible contamination across the entire fuel supply chain, it added.

“Certain media reports have cited issues of fuel adulteration or contamination. It is hereby clarified that fuel quality is monitored on a regular basis by oil marketing companies,” MoPNG said.

To ensure fuel quality, the OMCs have introduced further checks in addition to the testing protocols already in place, with water ingress testing being conducted 8-12 times a day at over 87,000 outlets.

The government said only two cases of chloride contamination were found in the entire country from over 2,000 samples tested. Sales from those two pumps were immediately suspended. High levels of chloride or moisture in fuel could increase the risk of corrosion in vehicle fuel systems.

Ethanol blending with petrol is being widely criticised by customers over concerns that some vehicles, particularly older models, could face faster component wear, lower fuel efficiency and higher maintenance costs, as they were not designed for E20 fuel.

Meanwhile, the government has ruled out selling pure petrol or E10 alongside E20 on account of the huge investments made in the sector by public sector banks and other related industries. The government has acknowledged that E20 petrol reduces vehicle mileage by 3-5 per cent compared with conventional petrol. It said, however, that the blend offers a higher octane rating, better anti-knock performance, faster combustion, improved pickup, smoother acceleration and cleaner engine operation.