Who Owns Castrol And Where Is The Oil Made?

You may know Castrol as a brand that makes motor oil for cars, but there is more to Castrol than its established identity in the automobile industry. You may be surprised to learn that the brand's products have been used in air, water, and even in space for decades. It's NASA's oil of choice for its Apollo and Mars missions, as well as the Space Shuttle program. Castrol's products even help propel the Curiosity Mars rover, which has been exploring the Red Planet for over 10 years. But who is responsible for Castrol, and where is its oil made?

As of 2025, Castrol Ltd., the company making Castrol-branded lubricants and fluids, is owned by BP — formerly British Petroleum. Castrol started as a self-made entity, founded in England in March 1899 by Charles "Cheers" Wakefield. The company was originally named "CC Wakefield & Company" and initially focused on selling lubrication fluids for trains and heavy machinery. But, as the transportation industry evolved in the twentieth century, so did Wakefield's interest in developing oils for automobiles and airplanes. The company would later release Castrol oil, which became a huge success, prompting Wakefield to rebrand to Castrol Ltd. in 1960. Six years later, Burmah Oil purchased the firm and renamed itself as Burmah-Castrol. BP then acquired Burmah-Castrol in 2000, and currently makes at least some of the company's oils in the United States.

Before becoming one of the best motor oil brands, Castrol spent years establishing its reputation in the automotive and aviation industries. Wakefield primarily relied on sponsorships to spread the word about his motor oils, with the Castrol brand appearing on banners and flags at various auto races and competitive flying events. In the modern day, Castrol would eventually establish partnerships with auto brands, including Ford and Jaguar, to promote its offerings. The brand's products are now available in over 150 countries. Despite the brand's massive reach, BP has opted for a cautious approach, ensuring the quality of Castrol products by producing most of them in one country.

Castrol is among the motor oil brands that are manufactured in America, even though the company's headquarters are in the United Kingdom. To be specific, the Castrol-branded products sold in the U.S. come from production facilities located in Port Allen, Louisiana, and Warminster, Pennsylvania. BP has not officially revealed the sizes of these facilities, but Calumet Specialty Products Partners, which inked a partnership deal with BP in 2016, revealed that it had a 15-acre plant in Louisiana to fulfill orders for the manufacture, blending, and packaging of specialty lubricants and solvents. Finished products from the two facilities are then distributed through a network of over 50 regional distributors. BP has other manufacturing plants producing Castrol oils and fluids outside the U.S., but neither BP nor Castrol has released any information about them.