Former names Bozedown House Current tenants 500 staff | Elevation 130 m (427 ft) | |
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Alternative names Castrol Global Technology Centre, BP Technology Centre, Castrol Research Laboratories Type Chemical Research Centre Address Whitchurch Hill, Oxfordshire, RG8 7QR | ||
The Castrol Technology Centre is a research institute owned by BP in South Oxfordshire, north of Whitchurch-on-Thames.
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Castrol
Castrol was founded by C.C.Wakefield in 1899, making lubricants (Wakefield lubricator) for railways.
The research site opened in 1907. The site was purchased by Castrol in 1976.
In 1993 it won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement for its Castrol Marine Cyltech 80. Castrol employs around 7,000 staff worldwide. Castrol was bought by BP in 2002.
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.