Castrol launches "greener" offshore platform lubes

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Discharges of offshore oil platform lubricants are an avoidable environmental concern, officials of Castrol Offshore Ltd said Tuesday as they launched a line of environmentally friendly oils and fluids.

Such pollution already is closely monitored, but environmental sensitivity will be increasingly important as the search for oil moves into ever more vulnerable frontier areas, said officials of Castrol Offshore, a unit of BP Plc.

Castrol Offshore'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.

(Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by David Gregorio)