Orders for inspection every 2 to 8 hours regarding water in petrol tanks

More than 93,000 petrol pumps across the country will now have to inspect their storage tanks and fuel-dispensing nozzles every 2 to 8 hours. This decision has been taken by government Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to safeguard the quality of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20). The frequency of these inspections will depend on the shift and weather conditions.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the first order regarding the decision to conduct frequent testing was issued in July, and a second one was recently issued in late October. One oil marketing company has issued orders for this decision, and two other companies may also adopt the same method. This decision is considered significant as it is raining in some parts of the country.

Most retail outlets of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) are conducting these mandatory inspections every 2 to 4 hours. However, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has reduced the frequency of this testing to once every 8 hours. BPCL, in a letter written to dealers on 23 October, mentioned the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Ethanol Blended Motor Spirit (EBMS).

BPCL's letter stated that by changing the frequency of water or appearance checks for EBMS tanks and nozzles, it is advised to do so once every 8 hours. Retail outlets operating 24 hours must conduct the check at least 3 times, and those operating for less than 24 hours must conduct it at least 2 times.

Some dealers of IOC and HPCL have expressed hope that their companies will also reduce the testing frequency soon, as all three oil marketing companies work together. According to experts, frequent testing with alcohol-resistant water-finding paste is essential because ethanol is highly hygroscopic, meaning it rapidly absorbs water from the surrounding atmosphere. When E20 comes into contact with water, the ethanol separates from the petrol and forms a separate water-ethanol layer at the bottom of the tank, which is known as phase separation.

Dealers stated that companies have asked them to follow the SOP to prevent water contamination and phase separation. The companies have not suggested any specific alcohol-resistant water-finding paste for the testing. One dealer mentioned that dealers often purchase any alcohol-resistant water-finding paste available online to check for water ingress in E20.

According to Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG), both oil companies and dealers are responsible for selling contaminated fuel. As per government guidelines, it is the responsibility of the oil companies to mix ethanol properly, while it is the dealer's responsibility to ensure that ethanol-blended products of proper quality are sold in the market. It is also necessary to check for the presence of ethanol before releasing the product.

On 7 August, the country's largest fuel retailer, IOC, stated that mandatory inspection and monitoring of underground storage tanks has been started by approximately 90,000 retail outlets. These tanks are inspected 8 to 12 times daily, and so far, no traces of water ingress have been found.

According to government data, by 1 April, 2026, the three oil marketing companies will operate 93,239 petrol pumps. Among them, IOC is the largest with 42,818 pumps, followed by BPCL (25,323) and HPCL (25,098). Private companies operate 9,784 pumps.