Oil/LNG refinery - What does a Process Operator do

[EddScott]

Anyone know what a Trainee Process Operator job would entail at an LNG/oil refinery?

By trainee I guess they are looking for someone young (I'm 30). I'm just thinking of trying something different and those that work on the LNG and the oil round here are on pretty good wages. I also saw someone was asking about rig work on here a while back. Many of the lads who start on the refineries go to the rigs as the money is even better.

I've got mechanical and electrical qualifications but have been in finance last 6 years.

 

[panthro]

Have you got the specification of the job? I work in that particular industry.

 

[EddScott]

No. The advert just says "Trainee Process Operator". Its at Chevron LNG.

I'm going to send a CV and see what happens anway.

 

[panthro]

Ok, well Chevron is (as youre aware) as massive company with sites all over the world, so does it specify where you will be based?
A process operator, in my experience is someone who will be working in a team of people, who will constantly set, adjust, and change the parameters and equipment of the process equipment within a plant, such as valves, meters, gauges etc, to ensure the process from crude to end product is kept to an optimum.

 

[lozza23_uk]

Ok, well Chevron is (as youre aware) as massive company with sites all over the world, so does it specify where you will be based?
A process operator, in my experience is someone who will be working in a team of people, who will constantly set, adjust, and change the parameters and equipment of the process equipment within a plant, such as valves, meters, gauges etc, to ensure the process from crude to end product is kept to an optimum.

This about sums it up really. An operator of a process plant. in this case a LNG plant.
And you will get training as to how the process works and how to "operate" it.

 

[Parsley]

Wouldn't that be something more Chemical Engineering based?

 

[Sankari]

I presume they'll be trained to operate the process.

 

[panthro]

Wouldn't that be something more Chemical Engineering based?

Nope, on site process/chem engineers will be more about the management of the plant, the outputs and by products, commissioning of parts etc. You woudl get significant training as a process operator. Its a job with a lot of potential to work in some fantastic places over the world.

 

[lozza23_uk]

Nope, on site process/chem engineers will be more about the management of the plant, the outputs and by products, commissioning of parts etc. You woudl get significant training as a process operator. Its a job with a lot of potential to work in some fantastic places over the world.

kazakhstan, Romania, Siberia, Nigeria

Or Italy, Norway, USA.

Only managed KZ, Romania and Italy so far.

 

[Dave]

Wouldn't that be something more Chemical Engineering based?

I think it's more process engineering than chemical, it's all about understanding the variables behind a process and the tweaking process for optimim production - a chemical engineer will have designed and costed the process.

 

[panthro]

I think it's more process engineering than chemical, it's all about understanding the variables behind a process and the tweaking process for optimim production - a chemical engineer will have designed and costed the process.

Chem and process go hand in hand in the oil industry, and generally will have nothing to do with costing apart from providing specs to give to mechanical, who then in turn design the physical equipment and give the results to procurement, who will then obtain pricing.

 

[Fishman]

An operator is someone who is trained to use the equipment and follow a detailed set of commands.
Step 1) Do this to vessel X
Step 2) Do that to vessel Y

 

[chino]

Chem and process go hand in hand in the oil industry, and generally will have nothing to do with costing apart from providing specs to give to mechanical, who then in turn design the physical pump and give the results to procurement, who will then obtain pricing.

Exactly. I'm a Mechanical Engineer in this industry and that's how it works here.

I think you'll be checking and tweaking various parts of the process in-line with parameters which will already have been defined during the engineering stage of the project.

 

[Bony Maloney]

You will be doing amongst other things;: opening/closing valves, stopping/starting pumps, taking readings, taking samples, checking plant equipment, working in a team of operators usually with their own job area, carrying out requests from the control room operator to run the plant in a safe and efficient manor. You may get involved in permit to work, you will be trained on hazard/risk assessment. There may be some first line maintenance depending on the company policy. Some companies I've worked for have a strict mechanical fitters do fitting work policy, others I have done quite a lot of pipe fitting, re jointing etc. Your mechanical and electrical background will be a good thing, and something you can bring to a team if there are no other skilled operators in the group. I have been a "process operator" for the last 24 years and have just started to work offshore in the oil and gas industry. It can be a very rewarding job, and due to a dwindling UK manufacturing industry and lots of guys retiring process operators are getting thin on the ground, that's why there is a drive to recruit more trainees. Go for it I say (all of the mentioned is a very brief summary of what I do, but that summarises it and gives you an idea).