Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. They may specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks, or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines.
A petroleum pump system operator's job description includes various tasks such as monitoring equipment operation to ensure proper functioning, adjusting equipment controls to regulate the flow of water, operating energy distribution equipment, operating oil pumping systems equipment, planning operational procedures, studying blueprints to determine equipment setup requirements, directing operational activities, calculating costs of goods and services, monitoring equipment fluid levels and maintaining production equipment, lubricating production equipment, and analyzing test results.
How to become a refinery operator? To pursue a career as a refinery operator, one must have a high school diploma or equivalent. No work experience is required for the beginners and there may be a few months of on-the-job training.
People involved in gauger jobs have a vast knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, public safety and security, education and training. In general, gauger jobs possess skills such as operations monitoring, judgement and decision-making power, time management, critical thinking, quality control analysis, communication and writing skills, and coordination. The personality of a refinery operator has qualities such as cooperation, persistence, leadership, flexibility, integrity and concern for others.
To succeed in the job, refinery operators must acquire abilities such as perceptual speed, problem sensitivity, information ordering, selective attention, reaction time, control precision, finger dexterity, perfect vision, speech clarity, depth perception, arm-hand steadiness and mathematical reasoning.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- ITI Course Pump Operator cum Mechanic
Tasks
- Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.
- Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.
- Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery.
- Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.
- Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.
- Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.
- Read automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks, and the amount of oil in tanks.
- Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment.
- Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.
- Read and analyze specifications, schedules, logs, test results, and laboratory recommendations to determine how to set equipment controls to produce the required qualities and quantities of products.
Progression Routes
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