Uzbekistan finds 10 million+ liters of non-compliant AI-92 gasoline

By Dmitry Lebedev

Uzbekistan’s Energy Inspectorate identified more than 10 million liters of non-compliant AI-92 gasoline from January through October after checking about 3,000 filling stations nationwide, the agency said on November 4.

Representatives of the Inspection for Control of Electricity, Petroleum Products and Gas under the Cabinet of Ministers, known as Uzbekistan Energy Inspectorate, announced the result at a press conference.

Dilshod Karimov, head of the inspectorate’s oil and gas control department, said 330 of the roughly 3,000 stations had petroleum products that did not meet required quality standards. That is approximately 11% of the stations checked.

Karimov said: “Of the 330 violations identified, 240 involved automotive gasoline.” The announcement did not break down the remaining cases or specify which fuel-quality indicators had failed. The violations covered AI-92 and AI-95, but it gave no separate volume for AI-95.

Where were the violations concentrated?

The largest volumes of non-compliant fuel were found in Andijan and Fergana regions. The inspectorate also recorded violations in Navoi, Namangan and Samarkand regions. Its November announcement gave no station-by-station list or regional fuel volumes, leaving the geographic concentration as the clearest public signal.

How does the inspection keep non-compliant fuel off sale?

Inspectors examine petroleum-product samples in the Energy Inspectorate’s central and regional laboratories. Where needed, they also use laboratories operated by other accredited organizations. A failed laboratory analysis triggers a temporary suspension of the relevant filling station’s petroleum-product sales.

To reopen, the operator must pass a repeat laboratory check and obtain a certificate of conformity. Sales do not resume until both steps are complete, so a failed test interrupts the station’s routine operation.

Karimov said: “Our main goal is not to confiscate petroleum products, but to prevent their sale to consumers in poor quality.”

How large is the 10 million-liter finding?

Ten million liters would fill the tanks of about 200,000 cars with a 50-liter capacity. Converted to mass, that volume is roughly 7,400 tonnes. Uzbekistan’s National Committee for Statistics reported 1.2 million tonnes of automotive gasoline produced in 2025.

Against that production base, the detected volume equals about 0.6% of annual output, or slightly more than two days of average daily production. Separately, the inspectorate said it had prevented the sale of about 7,800 tonnes of petroleum products that failed quality requirements from the start of the year through October. That tonnage covers all petroleum products, whereas the headline 10 million liters specifically refers to AI-92 gasoline.

What do the latest cases show?

The Energy Inspectorate regularly reports the results of its fuel-quality checks. In August 2026, specialists collected more than 170 samples at 129 filling stations and other enterprises. Laboratory analysis then identified 174,000 liters of non-compliant petroleum products at 21 stations, and the inspectorate prevented their sale.

• In October, the inspectorate reported a violation at an M. O. X. filling station in Andijan region. A laboratory test found petroleum products that failed state standards. The agency imposed a 23.6 million soum fine, equal to 50% of the value of the fuel sold.
• In Bukhara region, tests at two B. N. B. stations found AI-92 gasoline that did not meet quality standards. The company received a 20.1 million soum fine and an order to restore the quality of the remaining fuel.

What changes for station operators?

For filling-station operators, the enforcement sequence matters: sales stop first. A failed sample can trigger suspension, reopening requires repeat laboratory work and a conformity certificate, and confirmed violations can carry fines tied to the value of fuel sold.

The practical target is prevention, not seizure. For motorists, the headline means the inspectorate found fuel outside specification. For station operators, temporary closure, testing and certification—not merely a fine—are the operating consequences.