The eLearning Center for Jacob's The eLearning Centre

In the United States there are thousands of oil refineries. These facilities are operated by Oil Refinery Operators. These operators are highly paid and enjoy a stable work environment. There is an ongoing need for entry-level personnel. Generally, oil refinery operators enter the workforce in entry-level positions and work their way up - sometimes to senior management positions. Currently a large portion of the workforce is retiring - creating a critical shortage of technical workers for many years to come.

There are very few institutions that provide training for entry-level operators. This is a unique user-friendly course designed for people who have minimal knowledge of industry, math, physics or chemistry. The necessary science concepts are built into the course modules.

Oil refinery operators have the responsibility to make sure unit/process systems function properly. Their job includes the following:

• Consider personnel safety as the primary objective and ensure production processes are operating safely
• Continually monitor instrumentation and the operation of equipment
• Make adjustments to keep system process variables such as flows, temperatures and pressures within acceptable ranges
• Detect potential and actual problems and take corrective action to prevent the interruption of system operations
• Analyze operational trends and take corrective actions
• Use standard operating procedures to start/stop production equipment
• Maintain communication with other operators, maintenance and the management

Benefits of becoming an oil refinery operator:

• High salary. Depending upon industry and location, generally entry-level chemical plant operators make $13.00 to $20.00 per hour. After a few years of experience generally the pay range is $18.00 to $35.00/hr.
• Stable employment. Oil refinery operators are rarely laid off.
• Employment portability. Nearly all regions of the United States have oil or hydrocarbon manufacturing facilities.
• Career enhancement potential. Many entry-level oil refinery workers eventually make their way into supervisory and management positions.
• Better benefits. Generally oil refineries have above-average benefits for workers.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Operate an oil refinery with safety as the prime consideration
• Monitor instrumentation and the operation of equipment
• Make adjustments to keep system process variables such as flows, temperatures and pressures within acceptable ranges
• Detect potential and actual problems and take corrective action to prevent the interruption of system operations
• Analyze operational trends and take corrective actions
• Use standard operating procedures to start/stop production equipment
• Maintain communication with other operators, maintenance and the management

This is a comprehensive course and consists of a number of learning modules. Each of the modules addresses a specific scope and consists of an on-line test. The pass mark for the tests is 70% - however the students are allowed to take the tests a number of times.

This course consists of the following modules:

• Basic Safety
• Basic Hazard Communication
• Basic Lockout-Tagout
• Math 1000: Basic Math 1
• Math 2000: Basic Math 2
• Math2500: Basic Math 3
• Applied Physics 1
• Applied Physics 2
• Applied Physics 3
• Heat Exchangers
• Lubrication and Bearings
• Electrical Safety
• Electricity for Operators and Technicians
• Industrial Valves
• Compressed Air
• How to Read Process Drawings
• Basic Process Instrumentation and Control
• Pump Fundamentals
• Centrifugal Pumps - Operation
• Refining 1000: Introduction to Petroleum Refining
• Refining 2000: Distillation Technology
• Refining 3000: Basic Refinery Processes