María Fernanda Núñez and Margarita Mazón, laboratory technicians from the Energy Regulation and Control Agency (ARC), carried out this morning, as part of their work routine, an analysis of the octane number of gasoline sold in the country. The ARC allowed the media to witness the procedure, after comments have been made on social networks in recent days that question the quality of the gasoline.
The issue of the quality of gasoline has also been raised these days since the manager of Petroecuador, Ítalo Cedeño, announced the possibility of selling, from July, an improved gasoline of 89 octane and another of 95 octane. Currently the extra and eco have 85 octane and the super 92 octane.
The ARC, located in La Armenia, in the east of Quito, receives samples from all over the country, which are analyzed in the laboratory and octane room. According to Juan Calahorrano, representative of the Energy Regulation and Control Agency, between January and April, 635 samples have been received, to which 3,806 analyzes have been carried out. Of this total, only six presented novelties, that is, they did not meet the specifications.
From From January to December 2021, the ARC received 2,717 samples to which 16,344 analyzes were carried out. Of all of them, 15 were out of specification. In 2020, instead, 5,180 samples were received, to which 26,781 analyzes were carried out and 47 samples were out of standard.
This gives the measure that cases of non-compliance are rare.
This Wednesday, the sample analyzed was super gasoline that came from the province of Santa Elena. To obtain the final result, the fuel is incorporated into large octanometers, which simulate to be vehicle engines, technically calibrated. “The octanometer is a piston engine and analyzes the detonations of the fuel”, explained Calahorrano. In the case of the Santa Elena sample, an octane rating of 91.6 was obtained. I mean, it met the octane rating. “Both Petroecuador and the ARC guarantee that the octane rating is met in Costa, Sierra and Galapagos,” said the technician.
Calahorrano explained that when the gasoline does not meet the parameters, a report is issued, while an administrative sanctioning process is initiated. Reasons for noncompliance may include environmental contamination or storage problems. In any case, according to article 78 of the Hydrocarbons Law, a gas station can have a sanction of 25 basic salaries, the first time it fails to comply. On a second occasion it can be up to 50 salaries and on a third time up to 100 salaries and the suspension of activities.
Additionally, the density, distillation, and sulfur content of the gasoline are analyzed. On the subject of sulfur, which is another element that is of great concern to citizensCalahorrano said that the permitted INEN standard is 650 parts per million (ppm) of sulfur for extra gasoline and 450 ppm for super. In any case, from the measurements that have been made, these currently do not exceed 200 to 400 ppm.
The ARC also monitors the quantity, quality and volume that is sold at the various gas stations. For this they use volumetric contrasters. If it is recorded that the amount of fuel is not what should be delivered to the customer, there are also sanctioning processes.
On the subject of gasoline quality, to Oswaldo Erazo, executive director of the Chamber of Fuel Derivatives Distributors (Camddepe), In Ecuador, the quality of gasoline is homogeneous throughout the country since the only supplier is Petroecuador. In addition, it ensures that it must be taken into account that quality is not measured only by octane but by the quality of the sulfur. In this sense, he comments that gasoline in the country is not of good quality.
Considers that it is necessary that the rules INEN urgently change, but it is also important that there is an independent verifier that can guarantee quality. At the moment, Petroecuador refines, mixes and supplies, but it is an entity of the same State that does the measurement, he explains.
On the other hand, it indicates that distributors can hardly commit an adulteration of the product, such as putting water on it, because the car could present problems right away. He explains that the fines are very high. Regarding the videos that have been circulating on social networks in which three citizens make a measurement with a kind of tube, he adds that said analysis is totally anti-technical and unreliable. He says that an octanometer, the machine needed to make the measurement is sophisticated and expensive ($500,000) and is not in common use.
The ARC reminded citizens that if irregularities occur in their purchase of fuel, they can report it to the telephone number 1800 LOJUSTO. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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