Castrol launches "green" offshore fluids
Castrol Offshore has launched a line of "environmentally friendly” oils and
fluids designed for use in offshore drilling and production applications.
The company said discharges of offshore oil platform lubricants were an
“avoidable environmental problem”, Reuters reported.
Environmental sensitivity during exploration and production work will be
increasingly important as the search for oil moves into ever more vulnerable
frontier areas, said officials of Castrol Offshore, a unit of UK supermajor
BP, Reuters reported.
The company’s new "Greenfield" hydraulic fluids, gear lubricants and greases
biodegrade faster, with less impact on the food chain, than traditional oils
used on offshore platforms and seafloor valves, officials said.
One example of changes made to accomplish the improvements is the replacement
of petroleum lubricants with synthetic esters that biodegrade faster, said
technical director Paul Harrold.
Some of the environmentally "green" products are more expensive but offer
longer life and high performance and are easily introduced into existing
systems, said Tony Globe, Castrol Offshore's development manager.
"Overall, we expect use of the products would be cost-neutral," Globe said.
07 May 2008 01:53 GMT
| last updated:
07 May 2008 01:58 GMT
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