The Fuel Quality Monitoring Program (PMQC) in Minas Gerais resumed in January 2025, after a pause in November and December 2024 due to budget cuts suffered by the National Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Agency (ANP). In the state, more than 600 fuel samples, including gasoline, ethanol, and diesel, are analyzed monthly. These samples are collected randomly from various fuel stations.
The samples are typically collected and analyzed by the team at the Fuel Testing Laboratory – LEC/UFMG, which sends the results to the ANP electronically, providing a continuous snapshot of the market. When non-compliance is detected, the ANP sends inspection agents to take appropriate action, safeguarding consumer rights. Unlike the PMQC, inspection actions can result in fines.
The samples are analyzed using various methods, such as gas chromatography, UV fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, infrared spectroscopy, distillation, pH (hydrogen ion potential), electrical conductivity, and others.
The PMQC was established in 1998 by the ANP, and the daily collection of fuel samples from fuel stations in Brazil is carried out by laboratories from universities and research institutions, contracted by the Agency through a bidding process, to verify if they meet the specifications set by the legislation. The PMQC has contributed to a reduction in non-compliance over more than 25 years of operation, reaching international standards, which is very important for the country.
“It is undeniable the importance of this program for the constant improvement of fuel quality and for the development of new biofuels in the Brazilian market, making our energy matrix increasingly clean and green. Fuels are continuously modified to meet global trends, and without this monitoring, there is no way to progress. Therefore, I consider the PMQC an important asset of the Brazilian people,” explains Professor Vânya Pasa, coordinator of the LEC/UFMG.
Keeping an Eye on the Fuel Pump
Another way consumers can identify quality fuel is by asking the attendant to perform a quality test at the time of fueling.
All stations must have a test kit, called the “proveta test,” used to check if the amount of anhydrous ethanol in gasoline is within the technical specification defined by the Agency. In addition, for hydrated ethanol, there is a densimeter next to each pump where the fuel passes before reaching the tank. Consumers can check if the density and appearance are correct. The ethanol should be clear, free from impurities, and colorless. Also, the red line indicating the product’s density should be below or, at most, at the same level as the fuel.
It is common for consumers to doubt whether the amount of fuel displayed on the pump is the same as the amount being delivered into the car’s tank. In cases of doubt, consumers have the right to request a flow test from the fuel station, where a certified 20-liter standard measure by Inmetro (National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality) is used. The maximum allowed discrepancy is 100 ml more or less.