Product Specifications & Usage,

Quality Checks & QC Indexing

for
Probationary Officers
_______________________________________________________________________________

Dr. G K Sharma, GM (QC)

Marketing Head Office, Mumbai
 REFINERY Light Gases (-161 to -88 oC)
FLOW-CHART
LPG (- 40 to 0oC)
NAP./MS (30 to 200oC)

SKO/ATF (140 to 300oC)

HSD/HF HSD (160 to 400oC)

CRUDE
OIL
LDO (250 to 500oC)

FO/RFO > 500oC

REFINING
LSHS/ BITUMEN > 550oC
 Function of Specifications

To define minimum acceptable standards

 Controlled by the use of std. test methods
 Tests that have been found to relate to
operating conditions (RON, JFTOT, Lubricity)
 Defines the agenda for the refinery
 Quality of Petroleum Products

• Conformance to Specifications
• Traceability & fit for Intended Application
• Customer Satisfaction
• Safe in Handling
• Environment-friendly
What is minimum Octane Number
of MS marketed presently ?

91

5
As per IS Specification, color of
HSD should be?

Not Specified

6
Flash Point of HSD, SKO, MS
degree C ?

35, 35, ?

7
 Flash Point

• Classification of fuels as Class A, Class B,

Class C and, excluded category.

• Low Fl. Point may indicate contamination

by more volatile fuels.
Which are the important tests for
MS from adulteration point of
view?

D, Dis, EG, RON

9
Can plastic containers be used for
sampling fuels?

No

10
 Specification: Non-Aviation Products
NO. OF
SL. NO. PRODUCT NAME SPECIFICATION NO.
AMMENDMENTS

1 Motor Gasoline IS 2796:2017 1

2 Kerosene IS 1459:2016 3
Automotive Diesel Fuel IS 1460:2017 1
3 HF HSD IS 16861: 2018 ---
4 Light Diesel Oil IS 15770:2008 ---
5 Fuel Oils IS 1593:1982 2
6 Marine Fuels – Global Specs ISO 8217: 2017 ---
7 Fuel Oil for Diesel Generating Sets IS 15217:2002 ---
8 Fuel Oil for use in Marine Engine IS 11488:1985 ---
9 Liquefied Petroleum Gases IS 4576:1999 1
10 LPG for Automotive Purpose IS 14861:2000 ---
11 Anhydrous Ethanol IS 15464:2004 ---
12 Bio-Diesel Blend Stock for Diesel Fuel IS 15607:2016 1
 Specification : Aviation Products
NO. OF
SL. NO. PRODUCT NAME SPECIFICATION NO.
AMMENDMENTS

1 Jet A-1 Def Stan 91-091 Issue 10

2 Jet A-1 IS 1571: 2018 10th Revision

3 Jet Engine Fuels GOST 10227-86 ---

4 JP-5 (High Flash Kerosene Type) Def Stan 91-86 Issue 7/ 20.03.2009

5 JP-5 (High Flash Kerosene Type) IS 1587:1917 3rd Revision

6 Aviation Gasoline Def Stan 91-90 Issue 3/ 20.11.2009

7 Aviation Gasoline IS 1604: 2012 4th Revision

 COMPARISON OF INDIAN AND EUROPEAN
MOTOR GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS

India Bharat Bharat Bharat

Characteristics Euro-II Euro-III Euro-IV
2000 Stage-II Stage-III Stage-IV
RVP, kpa, max. 60 60 60 - 60 60 60
Aromatics, vol.-%, max. - - 42 - 42 35 35
Benzene, vol.-%, max. 5 3/5* 1 5 1 1 1
Olefins, vol.-%, max. - - 21/18 - 18 18 21/18
Oxygen, wt.-%, max. - - 2.7 - 2.7 2.7 2.7
Sulphur, ppm, max. 1000 500 150 500 150 50 50
Lead, g/l 0.013 0.013 0.005 0.013 0.005 0.005 0.005
RON, min. 88/93 88/93 91/95 95 95 95 91/95
MON, min. - - 81/85 85 85 85 81/85
(AKI) 84/88 84/88 - - - - -
Density @ 15ºC, kg/m3 710-770 710-770 720-775 725-780 720-775 720-775 720-775
•Benzene, vol.-%, max. 3 in Notified Area, Rest of Country 5
 COMPARISON OF INDIAN AND EUROPEAN HIGH
SPEED DIESEL SPECIFICATIONS

India Bharat Bharat Bharat

Characteristics Euro-II Euro-III Euro-IV
2000 Stage-II Stage-III Stage-IV
Cetane number, min. 48 48 51 49 51 51 51
Cetane index, min. - 46 46 46 46 46 46
Sulphur, ppm 2500 500 350 500 350 50 50
PAH, wt.-%, max. - - 11 - 11 11 11
Viscosity @40ºC, cSt 2.0-5.0 2.0-5.0 2.0-4.5 2.0-4.5 2.0-4.5 2.0-4.5 2.0-4.5
Density, kg/m3, 820-860 820-860 820-845 820-860 820-845 820-845 820-845
T85, ºC 350 350 - 350 - - -
T95, ºC 370 370 360 370 360 360 360
 Aircrafts & Fuel Requirement
• Aviation Turbine Fuels
JET A-1 - Boeing 747,737,727.757, etc
- Air Bus series
- DC , IL , TU, DO 228, Kiran, HS 748, F 27,
- MIG 21, 23, 27, 29, SU-30, Mirage, AN 12

JP -5 - Sea Harrier (under phasing out)

• Aviation Gasoline
Av Gas 100 LL - Islander A/C, HPT 32 A/C
16
Mig 25 – RT Fuel

QUICK STATS
•Origin: Russia
•Type: Interceptor
•Crew: 1
•Max Speed: 3,000 km/h - 1,865 mph
•Ceiling: 20,700 meters - 67,900 feet

High Altitudes
A/C Carrier – JP- 5 High Flash Point
 ATF Fuel Composition
• ATFs composed of mainly Paraffin, Naphthenes &
Aromatics Hydrocarbons. Olefins are normally absent.

• Paraffin - High calorific value, stable, high smoke point

• Aromatics - smoky, plastic & rubber solvent, low

smoke point

• Olefins - Unstable and form Gum

• Sulphur - Corrosive after burning

• Mercaptans - Corrosive & solvency tendency
Defense requirement of Aviation Fuels
 Defence requirement is more stringent for Aromatics,
Lubricity and Mercaptan Sulphur characteristics

- Aromatics: 25/ 22% v/v max

- Mercaptan: 0.0030/ 0.0020 % m/m
- Lubricity: WSD 0.85/ 0.65 mm max

 Jet A-1 produced in India also meets Defence

requirements thereby avoiding the need for two grades
 Major difference in ATF Fuel Specs
Characteristics Jet A-1 RT Fuel JP - 5
o
Freezing point C max -47 -55 - 46
o
Flash Point C Min 38 28 60

Silver corrosion - - yes No yes

Density at 15 C Kg/m3 775 –840 >778.5 788-845

Aromatics % Vol max 22 20 25

Factors affecting Quality of Aviation fuels

Water
Stagnant water - bacterial growth, ultimately choking
of Fuel System at high altitude

 Dust/Rust/external matter
• Affects fuel systems and Turbine performance
• Along with water results in discoloration

 Other fuels contamination

Quality deterioration /Failure
Facilities – Silver/Copper Strip
Corrosion apparatus
Determines corrosive nature of fuel
Facilities – MBT Apparatus

Growth of
microbial
colonies in
cultured
media.
 Sample Appearance
• Clear & bright at ambient temperature
• Free from visual impurities like solid dirt & un-
dissolved water
• Shall not be Hazy
• Visual Color shall be acceptable
 Quality Assurance achieved by

Standard Receipt, Storage, & Delivery facilities

Follow the laid down Standard

System of handling the fuel.

Take Care for avoiding entrance of

Water and Dust.
 Characteristics of MS/SKO/HSD

Characteristics of MS/SKO/HSD depend on

• Crude oil
• Refinery and refining processes
• Product mix at the time of refining
• All products are produced as per
manufacturing specifications, slightly better
than BIS
 Remember

• Petroleum products are mixture of hundreds

of different hydrocarbons.

• MS or HSD property is due to the total effect

of all individual hydrocarbons present in it.
 MS - HSD

• What is MS ? What is HSD ?

• Are All batches from one

Refinery have same physico –
chemical properties ?
 MS – Definition
Control Order No.518 dt December
21st, 2005

“Motor Spirit” means any hydro-carbon

oil (excluding crude mineral oil) which
meets the requirements of Bureau of
Indian Standards Specification No.
IS:2796 and is suitable for use as fuel in
Spark Ignition Engines.
 HSD – Definition
Control Order No.518 dt December
21st, 2005

“High Speed Diesel means any

hydrocarbon oil (excluding mineral colza
oil and turpentine substitute) which meets
the requirement of Bureau of Indian
Standards Specification No. IS:1460 and
is suitable for use as a fuel in
Compression Ignition Engines.
 SAMPLE
Sample is a part from the whole of
quantity of material required for
examination.

Laboratory examination of a sample

may be required for determining
physical and chemical characteristics of
product to ensure the average quality
of the whole material.
 Sample Container

Sample Container Shall Be of Proper Size

and Material, Non Reactive to the Sample
and Safe in Transportation.
Recommended Materials Are As Follows:
Aluminium Container – MS, MS E-5, SKO,
HSD, HSD B-100, HSD B-5, Jet A-1, AV
Gas 100 LL, JP-5, RTF, FO, LDO and Lube
Oils.
Stainless Steel Container – Ethanol
 PRECAUTIONS ON SAMPLING
 SAMPLE CONTAINERS SHOULD BE RINSED TWICE WITH THE
PRODUCT BEFORE SAMPLING
 SAMPLE CONTAINERS SHOULD NEVER BE FILLED COMPLETELY
WITH THE PRODUCT
 SAMPLE CONTAINERS SHALL BE CLOSED IMMEDIATELY AFTER
TAKING SAMPLE

 AFTER SAMPLING AND SEALING, THE CONTAINER SHOULD BE

INVERTED TO CHECK FOR LEAKS
 SAMPLES SHALL NOT BE DRAWN IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT TAMPER-PROOF AND ALSO NOT
RECOMMENDED BY MDG/CONTROL ORDER/IQCM
TAMPER-PROOF SEALING SYSTEM
Tamper-proof, unique
number, plastic seals with
various colors are widely
accepted in Oil Industry for
sealing samples
Samples should be sealed
properly before dispatching
them to the Lab for testing
Seal numbers (usually six
digits) should always be
mentioned on sample label
and testing request letter
SAMPLING FROM A TANK LORRY
 BEFORE DRAWING SAMPLES FROM A
TANK LORRY, 10 MINUTES SETTLING
TIME SHOULD BE GIVEN
 CHECK TOP AND BOTTOM SEALS AND
ALSO CHECK FOR PRESENCE OF WATER
 AFTER RELEASING THE MASTER VALVE
LEVERS, AT LEAST 20 Litre OF PRODUCT
SHOULD BE DRAINED FROM EACH
COMPARTMENT TO ENSURE FLUSHING
OF PIPELINES
 BOTTOM SAMPLES SHOULD THEN BE
TAKEN COMPARTMENTWISE
 ACCEPTED DENSITY VARIATION LIMIT IS
+/-_3.0 FOR MS & HSD AND +/- 2.5 FOR
XTRA PREMIUM MS & XTRA MILE HSD
SAMPLING AT RETAIL OUTLETS
 SAMPLES MAY BE DRAWN FROM
NOZZLE, VEHICLE, TANK OR
RECEPTACLE, AS THE CASE MAY BE
 FOR MS 6X1 Litre SAMPLES AND FOR
HSD 3X1 Litre SAMPLES FROM EACH
SOURCE SHOULD BE DRAWN
 FOR MS AND HSD BOTH, 1X1 Litre
SAMPLE SHOULD BE SENT TO THE
LABORATORY FOR CLINICAL TESTS
 IN CASE OF MS, 1X1 Litre SAMPLE
SHOULD BE SENT FOR RON TESTING
ALSO
 FIELD OFFICER SHOULD FORWARD RO
T/LORRY RETENTION SAMPLE AND
SUPPLY LOCATION RETENTION SAMPLE
ALSO ALONGWITH NOZZLE SAMPLES
TO LAB
FILTER PAPER TEST

 FILTER PAPER TEST IS DONE ON

MS SAMPLES TO DETECT
CONTAMINATION /
ADULTERATION WITH OTHER
HIGHER BOILING FRACTIONS I.E.
SKO OR HSD ETC.
 TWO DROPS OF MS ARE POURED
ON A GOOD QUALITY FILTER
PAPER AND OBSERVATION TAKEN
AFTER 2 MINUTES
 AN OILY STAIN ON FILTER PAPER
SHOWS THE PRESENCE OF HIGHER
BOILING COMPOUNDS
DENSITY TEST
 ISI MARKED M-50 TYPE HYDROMETERS
OF VARYING RANGES I.E. 0.650-0.700,
0.700-0.750, 0.750-0.800, 0.800-0.850,
0.850-0.900, 0.900-0.950 AND 0.950-
1.000 ARE SUITABLE FOR DENSITY TEST
ON PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
 USING ASTM TABLE 53B, DENSITY
VALUE CAN BE CONVERTED TO 15
DEG.C FOR VARIOUS COMPARISONS
 MENISCUS CORRECTION AS 0.0014
SHOULD ALWAYS BE ADDED TO 15
DEG. DENSITY FOR DARK COLORED
OILS
 DENSITY TEST SHOULD ALWAYS BE
DONE IN AN ENVIRONMENT FREE OF
AIR CURRENTS AND PARALEX ERROR
BE AVOIDED
 FOR MS AND HSD, PERMITTED
DENSITY VARIATION IS +/- 3.0 Kg/CM
(2.5 and 2.0)
 Distillation Test
Controls on
• Easy engine start-ability ( E 70)
• Smooth pick up and maintaining adequate
power after start (E 100)
• Control on heavy cut in fuel to prevent build
up of residue in the combustion chamber
(E 150 and FBP)
 Distillation Apparatus
(Manual)
To determine
boiling range
characteristics
of petroleum
fuels
 Sulphur
• Contributes significantly to fine particulate matter
(PM) emissions, through the formation of sulphates.

• Sulfur can lead to corrosion and wear of engine

systems.

• Efficiency of some exhaust after-treatment systems

is reduced as fuel sulfur content increases
 Facilities- EDXRF
ED-XRF for
determining total
Sulphur in
Petroleum Fuels.

Scope of Method
ASTM
D4294/ISO20847 :
17 ppm to 4.6%
mass
 MS-Benzene

• Benzene is a naturally occurring

constituent of crude oil.

• It is a known human Carcinogen.

• Reduced from 5% to 3% to 1%.

 Flash Point

• Classification of fuels as Class A, Class B,

Class C and excluded category.

• In practice, flash point is important

primarily from a fuel handling standpoint

• Low Fl. Point may indicate contamination

by more volatile & explosive fuels such as
Gasoline.
 Classification of petroleum products
“Petroleum Class A”
Petroleum Products having flash point below 23.0°C

“Petroleum Class B”
Petroleum Products having flash point of 23.0°C and
above but below 65.0°C

“Petroleum Class C”
Petroleum products having a flash point of 65.0°C
and above but below 93.0°C
Facilities – Flash Point
Apparatus

Abel’s &
PMCC
apparatus
for
determining
low & high
Flash
Points
Facilities- CFR Engine

CFR Engine for

RON on Motor
Gasoline.
 Overlapping Boiling Range
• MS/SKO & SKO/HSD Boiling ranges overlap
45 150 200 280

MS ( 45 – 200 C)
SKO ( 150 – 280 C )

140 150 280 380

SKO ( 150 – 280 )

HSD ( 140 – 380 C)

 MS – SKO

MS SKO
45 Distillation 150 200 280
RON
MS ( 45 – 200 C) ROE Flash Point
Density SKO ( 150 – 280 C )
 SKO - HSD
Middle distillates SKO and HSD

SKO HSD
Colour Density
Distillation- FBP Kin Viscosity
Smoke Point Cetane Number
Burning Quality Sulphur

SKO ( 150 – 280 )

HSD ( 140 – 380 C)

 Branded Fuels
• Fuels being sold in the country
Regular & Branded meet relevant
BIS Specifications
• Concept of branded fuels is to
incorporate additional features for
better performance
 XtraPremium
XPHOP is doped with world’s best MFA
package.
Using XP:
• Reduces friction between piston and
cylinder walls
• Acts as Dispersant
• Works as Corrosion Inhibitor
 XtraPremium
Using XP ensures
• Better Mileage (4-5%)
• Better performance of engine on sustained
basis resulting in smoother drive and high
power
• Keeps engine free from deposits
• Positive effect on Environment by cutting
down CO emissions by over 10%
 Ethanol & EBP
• Ethanol produced in India from molasses
• Doped in MS @ 10% volume in line with Govt.
Directives
• World Scenario
• Good Octane Booster (RON 108)
• Non-conventional, Environment Friendly Fuel
and saves Foreign Exchange
 Bio-diesel
• Bio-diesel produced in India from Jetropa or
Karanja, used cooking oils and tello etc.
• To be doped in HSD initially @ 5-7% volume
• World Scenario
• Enhances Lubricity, Sulphur Free, Non-
conventional Fuel
• Petroleum Fuel Extender
• Environment Friendly and saves on F.Exchange
INTERNATIONAL FUEL QUALITY
STATUS
vis-à-vis
INDIAN SCENARIO
WORLDWIDE GASOLINE SULPHUR
CONTENT

0.2
0.18

0.16
0.14

0.12

0.1
0.08

0.06
0.04
0.02
0
U EU Ja Au C In S. Th H Ta Ph Si M Pa In S.
SA pa st hi do Ko ai on i i lip ng al ki di Af
n ra n a ne la g w ap ays st a ric
l ia re n K an p a a
si a d o in ore i a n
a ng es
QC Indexing at Marketing Locations
 QC Index Evaluation Format
Four formats for QC Inspection:

QC1: Quality Control Inspection Guide for AFS

QC2: Quality Control Inspection Guide for Laboratories

QC3: Quality Control Inspection Guide for Terminals/

Depots handling Aviation Products

QC4: Quality Control Inspection Guide for Terminals/

Depots handling Non-Aviation Products
Salient points noticed during inspection
of Depots/Terminals/AFSs

• Availability of updated QC manuals, QC Circulars with

Location Specific Work Instruction Manual.

• Availability of QC kit containing necessary

instruments in working condition. Ex: Thermometer,
Hydrometer, Sampling thief etc.
 Salient Points
QC Facilities

• Positive segregation for all products

• Proper color coding of pipelines/storage tanks
/risers/decanting hoses, nozzles/ TTs
• Water draw-off line in all above ground tanks
• Product circulation facility for FO/LDO tanks
• Strainers/filters of requisite specification with
adequate draining facility
 Salient Points contd…..
• Cleaning of Storage tanks/Filters/Strainers/free
vents/TTs as per schedule

• Display of cleaning dates on Storage Tanks /Filters

/Strainers

• Availability of approval from competent authority for

tank cleaning extensions, if any

• Proper retention of samples

• Monitoring of Products at prescribed intervals i.e.

Flash point, MM, Dormancy etc.
 Salient points contd.
Miscellaneous

• Compliance to previous QC Inspection points

• Competence and Quality awareness of employees

at location

• Housekeeping
 RECAP
• Critical non-aviation tests and their significance

• Fuel adulteration & failure

• Branded fuels

• Bio-fuels

• Comparison of fuel Quality in India & abroad

 “Cost is long forgotten
but
Quality remains for ever”
 All the Best
E-Mail: gksharma@indianoil.in
Cell: +91-9869257793