Central Control and Process Operators in Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing

Nature of work

These workers monitor and run petroleum, petrochemical and chemical plants and monitor, adjust and maintain processing units and equipment in these plants. They work for petroleum and natural gas processing, pipeline and petrochemical companies and industrial, agricultural and specialty chemical and pharmaceutical companies.

Job duties

Central control and process operators:

• Use electronic or computerized control panel from a central control room to monitor and adjust physical and chemical processes for several processing units.
• Control process start-up, shutdown and troubleshooting.
• Monitor outside process equipment.
• Adjust equipment, valves, pumps and controls and process equipment.
• Approve or co-sign maintenance work orders.
• Shut down, isolate and prepare process units or production equipment for maintenance.
• Sample products, perform tests, record data, carry out statistical process control on process operations, and write production logs.
• Develop operating procedures for normal operation, start-up or shutdown of unit.
• Participate in safety audits and programs and provide emergency response when needed.
• Make sure safety and environmental regulations are followed.
• May rotate between different processing units during shift cycles.
• May work in a team with shared supervisory responsibilities and participate in training other workers.
• May be cross trained in a skilled trade and work in the trade during shift cycles.

Sample job titles

• acid plant operator
• chemical process operator
• chemical processing chief technician
• chlor-alkali plant cell room operator
• gas field production operator
• gas plant operator
• gas recovery operator
• master operator
• oil refinery process operator
• panel operator
• petroleum process operator
• pharmaceutical processing operator
• pipeline compressor station operator
• process technician

Skills

You should be responsible and alert. Mechanical skill and strong computer skills are important. You must be able to work as part of a team.

Job requirements

• High school is required. Mathematics, chemistry and physics subjects are often identified.
• A college diploma in process operation, sciences or a related subject may be needed for some positions.
• Petroleum and chemical process operators and process technicians need completion of several years of formal company training.
• Experience as a petroleum or chemical process operator in all the operating units controlled by the central control room is required for chief operators.
• Company certification as a petroleum process operator or technician may be required.
• A provincial power engineer licence, compressor operator or refrigeration certificate may be required when certain kinds of equipment are included in the process.
• Certification in the transportation of dangerous goods (TDG), first aid, firefighting, or workplace hazardous materials information system (WHMIS) may be required.

Other considerations

There is movement among jobs within a company, often as part of a formal development or training program. Movement to other petroleum or chemical processing plants is possible but may be limited by the usual practice of training and promoting workers from within the company. Movement to supervisory or managerial positions is possible with experience. Personal protective equipment may be required for occupations in this unit group that may involve exposure to hazards of toxic, flammable or explosive chemicals.

Regulations

Contacts

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