Oil refining Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply the principles of crude oil distillation and conversion processes to optimize product yield and quality.
• Analyze the key operational parameters and control systems used in atmospheric and vacuum distillation units.
• Evaluate the hazards associated with refining operations and implement appropriate safety measures.
• Demonstrate the ability to monitor and troubleshoot common refining unit malfunctions.
• Implement environmental management practices to minimize emissions and waste in line with regulatory requirements.
• Design basic process flow diagrams and interpret P&IDs for refinery units.

Target Audience

This course is designed for process operators, technicians, and engineers working in or entering the petroleum refining industry. It is also suitable for supervisors and managers seeking to deepen their understanding of refining operations and safety protocols.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, a basic understanding of chemistry or engineering principles is recommended.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practicals are essential to reinforce theoretical concepts. Learners will simulate distillation processes, operate a virtual refinery unit, and conduct quality tests on refined products to develop operational and troubleshooting skills.

Practical Activities

• Distillation Simulation — Using a process simulator, learners set up and run a crude distillation column, adjusting feed conditions and observing product yields. (4h)
• Catalytic Cracking Virtual Lab — Simulate an FCC unit to study the effect of catalyst-to-oil ratio and temperature on conversion and product distribution. (4h)
• Hydrotreating Process Operation — Participants run a hydrotreater simulation, monitoring sulfur removal and hydrogen consumption while adjusting feed rates. (4h)
• Product Quality Testing and Blending — Learners perform ASTM tests (e.g., distillation, flash point, viscosity) on samples and blend components to meet specifications. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.