Gas and Chemical Processing Operators
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Job description
These individuals monitor, adjust, and maintain equipment and processing facilities in oil, petrochemical, and chemical plants. They are employed by:
- Oil refineries
- Natural gas processing plants
- Petrochemical and pipeline companies
- Industrial gas manufacturing companies
- Industrial, agricultural, and specialty chemical and pharmaceutical companies (resins, pesticides, paints, soaps, etc.)
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Hazardous chemical
- Odours
- Noise
- Fire, steam, hot surfaces
Main tasks
- Operate control panels from a central control room.
- Monitor and optimize the physical and chemical process flow.
- Establish procedures for operating, starting, or stopping the processing unit for the operators.
- Control process start-up and shutdown.
- Monitor the operations of external equipment.
- Adjust equipment, valves, pumps, and controls.
- Authorize maintenance work.
- Shut down, isolate, and prepare for maintenance of processing facilities or production equipment.
- Take samples, perform tests, and record data.
- Draft production reports.
Advancement and mobility
- There is a high degree of mobility from one position to another within the same company.
- Experience leads to supervisory or management positions.
Hourly wage
Not available.Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
2,000
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 22.3% Female
- 77.7% Male
Not available.
- 22.3% Female
- 77.7% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$82,000
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 324, 32531% of jobs
-
NAICS 2211% of jobs
-
NAICS 417% of jobs
-
NAICS 334, 3354% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 454% of jobs
-
Others43% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 324, 32531% of jobs
-
NAICS 2211% of jobs
-
NAICS 417% of jobs
-
NAICS 334, 3354% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 454% of jobs
-
Others43% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
DCS in techniques de procédés industriels
Code : 210D0
Placement rate: 70%
26.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
Chief Operators
- Experience as an operator in petroleum refining or chemical processing in all operations units controlled by the central control room.
Sometimes required
- The following certificates may be required:
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods
- First aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
- Firefighting
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Central control room operator or technician in oil refining.
- Certificate in Stationary Machinery Mechanics (class 4; MMF-C4), Compressor Operator, or Refrigeration Specialist is sometimes required when certain types of equipment are included in the process.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Monitoring operations
- Information processing
- Result evaluation
- Reading comprehension
- Operations and control
- Quality control analysis
- Written expression
- Critical thought
- Solving complex problems
- Judgment and decision-making
- Active learning
- Coordination
- Troubleshooting
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Time management
- Learning strategies
Abilities
- Perception speed
- Awareness of issues
- Auditory attention
- Selective attention
- Information organization
- Near vision
- Hearing sensitivity
- Processing flexibility
- Oral comprehension
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Reaction time
- Distance vision
- Classification
- Written comprehension
- Control accuracy
- Visualization
- Speech clarity
- Digital dexterity
- Manual dexterity
- Colour perception and distinction
- Information processing speed
- Speech recognition
- Speed control
- Basic numeracy
- Time sharing
- Depth perception
- Mathematical reasoning
- Hand-arm stability
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Critical thinking
- Focussed on results
- Autonomy
- Capacity to work in a team
- Knowledge of production and treatment
- Commitment
- Rigour
- Attention to detail
- Respect standards and regulations
Interests
- Develop and exploit natural resources
- Conduct tests and trials, control processes
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Official name of the NOC 93101
Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing
Job titles
- Assistant operator - chemical processing
- Chief operator - chemical processing
- Production operator - chemical processing
- Oil field production operator
- Operating technician - chemical processing
- Alkylation chief operator
- Synthesis chief operator
- Continuous process chief operator
- Batching process chief operator
- Chemical processing chief technician
- Oil movement coordinator
- Gas control coordinator
- Coal tar distiller
- Chemical roaster
- Oil gauger
- Pipeline gauger
- Master operator - chemical processing
- Lead operator - chemical processing
- Explosives senior operator
- Coal gas exhaust operator
- Gas field production operator
- Brine purification operator
- Gas recovery operator
- Chlor-alkali plant cell room operator
- Petroleum process operator
- Processing operator - chemical processing
- Pharmaceutical processing operator
- Oil refinery process operator
- Batching chemical process operator
- Chemical process operator
- Upgrader process operator - petroleum
- Benzol agitator operator
- Nitroglycerine nitrator operator
- Absorption operator
- Distillation equipment operator
- Petroleum distillation operator
- Thermal acid equipment operator
- Absorption plant operator
- Acid plant operator
- Alkylation operator
- Bitumen extraction plant operator
- Nitric acid oxidation plant operator
- Chlorination plant operator
- Chlorine plant operator
- Cracking plant operator
- Catalytic cracking unit operator
- Desulphurizer operator
- Sulphuric acid plant operator
- Alum-liquor plant operator
- Ammonia plant operator
- Gas plant operator
- Liquefaction plant operator
- Gas liquefaction and regasification plant operator
- Tank farm operator
- Polymerization unit operator
- Oxygen recovery plant operator
- Chemical process unit operator
- Heavy water chemical process operator
- Gas-treating unit operator
- Bitumen upgrading plant operator
- Petroleum unit operator
- Oil pipeline operator
- Gas field operator
- Battery operator - oil and gas
- Burner operator - petroleum
- Fractionator operator
- Gas processing compressor operator
- Natural gas compressor operator
- Gas control operator
- Catalytic conversion operator
- Polymerization kettle operator
- Caustic cell operator
- Filter operator - petroleum, gas and chemical processing
- Gas pipeline operator
- Purification operator - chemical processing
- Acid mixer operator
- Panel operator - chemical processing
- Control panel operator - chemical processing
- Power switchboard operator - chemical
- Refinery operator
- Glycerine refinery operator
- Petroleum refinery operator
- Nitroglycerine separator operator
- Compressor station operator - pipelines
- Pump station operator - pipelines
- Process control system operator
- Column operator - chemical processing
- Hydrogen process plant operator
- Naphthalene clarifier
- Alkylation tower tender
- Dissolver-precipitator
- Antibiotics fermenter
- Brine equipment tender
- Gas pressure regulator
- Rotary furnace tender - chemical processing
- Propellant blender
- Wet explosives mixer
- Oil blender
- Boardman/woman - chemical processing
- Pilot plant tender
- Oil field pumper
- Phosphate process fertilizer maker
- Gasoline catalyst operator
- Grease maker
- Nitrocellulose maker
- Nitroglycerine maker
- Field contract operator - oil and gas
- Sterile products processor - chemical processing
- Fuel gas treater
- Glycerine refiner
- Oil refiner
- Controller - oil
- Gas controller
- Oil movement controller
- Gas processing controller
- Gas dispatcher
- Oil dispatcher
- Nitroglycerine separator
- Process technician
- Refinery process technician
- Processing laboratory operator
Skill type
Manufacturing and utilities
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Last update: January 29, 2026
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