When Simon Gurney joined BP’s product performance department as a graduate engineer, he rapidly found himself working on a big project. “I was developing a test cycle on a modern diesel engine to investigate the effects of exhaust-gas recirculation on the lubricants,” he says. “This was in parallel to co-ordinating test development and reporting results of a motorcycle engine to support the Castrol Power 1 motorcycle products and World Superbike formulations.”

He moved on to the heavy duty team, developing oils for larger truck engines. “Again, we don’t get the simple projects; here I developed a lubricant solution for a truck and bus manufacturer. We have just filed a patent application for this work. I’m very proud to have developed something new,” says Gurney.

Gurney, 26, joined BP when he saw an opportunity on the Castrol website after graduating from the University of Hertfordshire in automotive engineering. He is now on the passenger car team responsible for developing the Castrol Edge brand. Much of the work is aimed at meeting new specifications from American and European authorities.

“The next few years are going to be a real challenge, mainly due to increasingly strict emissions legislation. Engines will become smaller and run hotter, and people will want lubricants that offer lower fuel consumption,” he says. “It used to be the case where the engine was designed and then the engine oil selected; now we are seeing a need for them to be developed together.”

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