Castrol Technology Centre
| Castrol Technology Centre | |
|---|---|
BP Pangbourne, Pangbourne Technology Centre | |
 Castrol oil advertisement | |
  Location within Oxfordshire | |
| Former names | Bozedown House |
| Alternative names | Castrol Global Technology Centre, BP Technology Centre, Castrol Research Laboratories[1] |
| General information | |
| Type | Chemical Research Centre |
| Address | Whitchurch Hill, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QR |
| Coordinates | 51°30′00″N 1°04′52″W / 51.5°N 1.081°W |
| Elevation | 130 m (427 ft) |
| Current tenants | 500 staff |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Client | Castrol |
| Owner | BP/Castrol Ltd |
| Landlord | BP UK |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 36 acres (14.6 ha) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
The Castrol Technology Centre is a research institute owned by BP in South Oxfordshire, north of Whitchurch-on-Thames.
History
Castrol
Castrol was founded by C.C.Wakefield in 1899, making lubricants (Wakefield lubricator) for railways.
The research site opened in 1907.[2] The site was purchased by Castrol in 1976.
In 1993 it won the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for its Castrol Marine Cyltech 80.[3] Castrol employs around 7,000 staff worldwide. Castrol was bought by BP in 2000.[4]
Structure
The site is around three-quarters of a mile north of the River Thames, east of the B471, accessed from the A4074 at Woodcote. The site has around 500 staff.
Function
Castrol has twelve research sites around the world. The site at Pangbourne is the largest of the twelve sites. Research is done on rheology and the viscosity of engine oil.
See also
- Former Esso Research Centre in Oxfordshire
- Former Shell Technology Centre in Cheshire
References
- ^ New Scientist June 1989
- ^ Castrol history
- ^ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 21ST APRIL 1993" (PDF). London Gazette. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ BP
External links
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