Custom Courses Energy, Oil and Gas

Petroleum Technician Programme Training

SAQA US AATICD-0158 | NQF 5 | Credits 10 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This programme equips learners with the essential knowledge and practical skills to operate safely and effectively in petroleum handling, storage, and distribution environments. It covers key aspects of petroleum product properties, safe handling procedures, and emergency response, ensuring compliance with South African health and safety regulations.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply principles of petroleum product properties and safe handling procedures in the workplace.
  • Demonstrate correct use of personal protective equipment and emergency response equipment.
  • Analyze hazards associated with petroleum operations and implement risk control measures.
  • Evaluate compliance with relevant South African health, safety, and environmental legislation.
  • Implement spill containment and firefighting procedures in simulated emergency scenarios.

Target Audience

This course is designed for entry-level technicians, operators, and supervisors working in petroleum depots, fuel storage facilities, or transportation companies who require formal training in petroleum handling and safety.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Petroleum Industry and Safety

Objectives:
• Understand the petroleum value chain from exploration to distribution
• Identify key safety regulations and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Explain the role of a petroleum technician
• Recognise common hazards in petroleum operations

Topics:
• Overview of the petroleum industry: upstream, midstream, downstream
• Introduction to petroleum products and their properties
• Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) fundamentals
• PPE selection and use
• Emergency response procedures
• Workplace hazard identification and risk assessment

Day 2: Petroleum Measurement and Sampling

Objectives:
• Describe principles of volume and mass measurement for petroleum products
• Perform accurate sampling techniques for quality control
• Calculate basic conversions and corrections (temperature, density)
• Interpret measurement standards (API, ASTM, SANS)

Topics:
• Units of measurement and conversion factors
• Tank gauging and dip measurements
• Flow measurement devices (meters, provers)
• Sampling methods: manual, automatic, closed-loop
• Density and specific gravity determination
• Temperature and pressure corrections
• Record keeping and reporting

Day 3: Petroleum Storage and Transfer Operations

Objectives:
• Explain storage tank types and their applications
• Demonstrate safe transfer procedures (loading, unloading, pipeline operations)
• Identify common transfer equipment and their maintenance requirements
• Apply spill prevention and control measures

Topics:
• Storage tank types: fixed roof, floating roof, pressurized
• Tank fittings and accessories (vents, gauges, fire suppression)
• Transfer operations: truck loading, marine loading, pipeline pigging
• Pumps, valves, and hoses: operation and inspection
• Spill prevention and containment
• Vapour recovery systems
• Pre-operational checks and safety interlocks

Day 4: Quality Control and Laboratory Testing

Objectives:
• Describe key quality parameters for petroleum products (octane, cetane, flash point, etc.)
• Conduct basic laboratory tests using standard methods
• Interpret test results and identify out-of-specification products
• Understand the role of additives and blending

Topics:
• Overview of petroleum product specifications
• Flash point, pour point, and viscosity testing
• Distillation analysis
• Octane and cetane number determination
• Water and sediment detection
• Sulphur content testing
• Sample handling and chain of custody
• Introduction to blending and additive injection

Day 5: Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Regulatory Compliance

Objectives:
• Perform routine maintenance on petroleum equipment
• Diagnose common operational faults and implement corrective actions
• Apply relevant regulations (SANS, OHS Act, SABS) in daily work
• Prepare technical reports and handover documentation

Topics:
• Preventive maintenance schedules for pumps, valves, and meters
• Troubleshooting common issues: leaks, blockages, calibration drift
• Corrosion monitoring and cathodic protection basics
• Regulatory framework: OHS Act, SANS 10089, SANS 10131
• Environmental management: waste handling, spill reporting
• Documentation: maintenance logs, incident reports, shift handovers
• Course review and assessment

Practicals

16 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Hands-on practicals are essential to develop competence in measurement, sampling, transfer operations, and maintenance. Learners apply theory in simulated or real-world petroleum environments, reinforcing safety and procedural skills.

Practical Activities
  • Practical 1: Tank Gauging and Sampling — Learners perform manual tank gauging using dip tapes and automatic tank gauges, and collect representative samples using various methods. (4h)
  • Practical 2: Loading and Transfer Operations — Learners simulate truck loading and pipeline transfer, including pre-operational checks, hose connection, and emergency shutdown procedures. (4h)
  • Practical 3: Laboratory Testing — Learners conduct flash point, density, and distillation tests using standard lab equipment and interpret results against specifications. (4h)
  • Practical 4: Pump and Valve Maintenance — Learners disassemble, inspect, and reassemble a centrifugal pump and gate valve, and perform leak testing and alignment checks. (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

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

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.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Jan 2027 Fri 08 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Feb 2027 Fri 05 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Jun 2027 Fri 25 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Sep 2027 Fri 24 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 424 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 17 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Harare, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
Mon 17 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Shenzhen, China Winter 2026 $7,398 Register
Mon 24 Aug 2026 Fri 28 Aug 2026 Bangkok, Thailand Winter 2026 $6,318 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 12 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Feb 2027 Fri 12 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 12 Jul 2027 Fri 16 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 11 Oct 2027 Fri 15 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 10 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
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% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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