Automated Crude Oil Refining Process Equipment Operations Training

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate the ability to start up, operate, and shut down automated crude oil refining process equipment in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Monitor and adjust process parameters using distributed control systems (DCS) to maintain optimal refining conditions.
• Apply troubleshooting techniques to identify and resolve common equipment malfunctions and process deviations.
• Evaluate process data to ensure product quality and compliance with safety and environmental standards.
• Implement emergency shutdown procedures and respond effectively to process alarms and abnormal situations.
• Analyze the interrelationship between unit operations in a crude oil refining process and optimize equipment performance.

Target Audience

This course is designed for process operators, refinery technicians, and maintenance personnel who are involved in the operation and monitoring of automated crude oil refining equipment.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

The practicals provide hands-on experience with simulated and actual process equipment operations, including control room simulations, field equipment manipulation, and troubleshooting scenarios to reinforce theoretical knowledge and develop operational competence.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: DCS Console Operations — Learners operate a simulated DCS to control a crude distillation unit, adjusting key parameters and observing process responses. (16h)
• Practical 2: Field Equipment Inspection and Manipulation — Learners inspect and manually operate field equipment such as valves, pumps, and heat exchangers in a training rig, performing isolation and line-ups. (16h)
• Practical 3: Process Troubleshooting Scenarios — Learners troubleshoot simulated process upsets (e.g., column flooding, pump cavitation, heater tube failure) using a high-fidelity simulator. (16h)
• Practical 4: Safety System Testing and Emergency Response — Learners perform functional tests on safety instrumented systems and participate in emergency shutdown and fire drill scenarios. (8h)

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.