Guwahati has seen a boom in the number of vehicles over the years. And with this, the need for an increase in petroleum consumption and its products has risen too. The price of fuel has also been a burning issue for the people not just in Guwahati, but nationwide. And amidst all of this, the residents and vehicle owners in Guwahati are at times facing an unexpected challenge at the fuel pumps. Over the past few months, multiple petrol stations across the city have been allegedly restricting their sales to higher-octane fuels at certain hours, especially during late night, causing concern and inconvenience for daily commuters and businesses alike.
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Before we can gravitate towards this problem, let us take a look at what higher octane fuels are and how they are different from normal unleaded fuels.
The major difference between higher octane fuels and normal petrol lies in the amount of octane present in them. Power petrol or higher octane fuels have a very high amount of octane, and normal petrol has low octane. Octane is the measure of how much knocking or compression a fuel can withstand before ignition. Octane rating is an index of the fuel’s resistance to heat and premature burning, which makes the engine ‘knock’. A car’s engine works by compressing air and fuel to ignite them. When you use normal petrol, the compression of air and fuel increases and causes pre-ignition or premature burning. This pre-ignition is known as a ‘knock’. Higher octane petrol has a higher amount of octane and is more resistant to pre-ignition. This is the reason why high-compression engines require premium petrol. You must know that premium petrol is commonly used to refer to power petrol. Different brands sell high-octane fuel under different names like ‘Speed’, ‘Power’, ‘Extra Premium’, ‘XP95’ and many others.
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Normal petrol has an octane rating of up to 87. Mid-grade petrol has an octane rating between 88 and 90, and power petrol’s octane rating is within the range of 91 to 95. The higher quality petrol octane number is higher, which helps to reduce engine knocking and detonation. This leads to better combustion. High-octane petrol also helps the engine to work at full capacity and leads to better fuel efficiency.
Performance-oriented motor vehicles have engines with a high compression ratio. The higher the power petrol octane number in the fuel, the better performance the engine churns out. It is not recommended for every vehicle as most of them can run on normal petrol.
So, coming back to the issue on hand, there have been recent reports from various parts of the city indicating that regular unleaded petrol has become scarce. Motorists are at certain times of the day being compelled to purchase higher octane fuels, such as 90, 91 or 95 octane, which are significantly more expensive. This sudden shift has led to a surge in fuel expenses for many, sparking frustration and anger among the public.
Talking to GPlus, Ramesh Sharma, a local delivery driver said, “I normally spend around Rs 3,000 per month on fuel, but now it’s almost doubled. Whenever I arrive at the petrol pumps after 9 pm they tell me that normal fuel is not available. It’s becoming hard to manage household expenses with this sudden increase.”
Businesses that rely heavily on transportation are also feeling the pinch. Small-scale delivery services, public transport operators, and even large logistic firms are grappling with rising costs, which could potentially be passed on to consumers, leading to a broader economic impact.
Industry insiders suggest that the shortage of regular fuel could be attributed to supply chain disruptions and logistical issues.
Speaking to GPlus, the manager of a fuel pump in Guwahati said, “The supply of regular petrol has been inconsistent. We are only getting higher octane fuels at certain times in the recent deliveries.”
However, there is also speculation about deliberate moves by some fuel stations to increase profits by pushing higher octane fuels, which carry larger margins.
In this context, speaking to a worker at a fuel station under the conditions of anonymity said, “Our managers and owners at times push us to only sell premium or higher octane fuels. May or may not be intentional but we do as they say, and at times the customers have an issue with this.”
“I had to drive around for an hour to find a station selling regular petrol as none of the stations near my locality were selling normal fuel past 9 PM,” said a resident Priya Das, while talking to GPlus.
“This is unacceptable and needs immediate attention as this is for the benefit of all,” she further added.
In response to this, we had a small discussion with the authorities of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Talking to GPlus, Anwesha Saikia, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) said, “Although it is advisable for the general public to use higher octane fuels for the betterment of their vehicle, we never enforce it. It should be the choice and the need of an individual which impacts the fuel which they buy. If any fuel pumps or stations are doing it on purpose, then we need to look into it.”
As the situation continues to develop, the people of Guwahati are hoping for a resolution to this woe. In the meantime, they are bracing for the financial burden that comes with the enforced switch to higher-octane fuels if that is the case.
