This document provides information on the duties, responsibilities, knowledge, physical characteristics, and working conditions of various oil and gas pipeline professionals. It describes the roles of oil pipeline operators and maintenance workers, control center operators, gaugers, utility workers, and tank farm operators. Similar details are provided for gas pipeline compressor operators, control operators, and utility operators. Essential skills, knowledge requirements, and personal characteristics are outlined for each role.

1. Oil and Gas Pipeline Professionals:
Duties, Responsibilities, Knowledge, Physical
Characteristics and Working Conditions

2. Essential Skills
• Reading
• Document use
• Numeracy
• Writing
• Oral communication
• Thinking skills
• Computer skills
• Working with others
• Continuous learning

3. Oil Pipeline Operators and Maintenance Workers
• Oil pipeline operators and maintenance
workers ensure that pipeline systems
operate safely, efficiently and reliably.
• Pipeline systems transport oil and oil
products via:
• flow lines that connect oil wells to oil
batteries (storage facilities)
• pipeline gathering systems that
connect production fields to main
pipelines
• main pipeline transmission lines that
carry oil from major points of
production to refineries or to other
markets.

4. Working Conditions
• Pipeline systems operate 24 hours a day, year round, so
control centre operators may work eight or 12 hour
shifts. They usually work in an office. Other workers
may work eight hour day shifts.
• Utility workers and gaugers work both indoors and
outdoors in all types of weather conditions.
• They are required to lift items weighing up to 20
kilograms.
• All pumping station personnel must be acquainted with
safety procedures associated with handling oil and oil
products.

5. Knowledge Required
• Safety procedures, first aid and CPR
• WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials
Information System)
• Mechanics
• Electrical work
• Basic electronics or instrumentation
• Chemical engineering technology
• Petroleum engineering technology
• Mechanical engineering technology

6. Personal Characteristics
• Oil pipeline operators and maintenance
workers need the following characteristics:
– precise
– flexible
– good communication skills
– the stamina and endurance required to perform
repetitive tasks
– able to work effectively as a member of a team.

7. Personal Characteristics: Cont’d
• They should enjoy
– taking responsibility, adhering to prescribed work procedures
and doing physically active work.
– controlling equipment, instruments and machinery, analyzing
information to solve problems, and working with others.
• In an emergency
– oil pipeline operators must be able to evaluate the situation and
respond to it quickly and correctly.
– The safety of a number of people and the efficient operation of
the oil pipeline system often depend on their good judgement.
– Control centre operators also need goodcolour vision to
interpret colour computer graphics.

8. Maintenance Worker’s responsibilities
• Workers' responsibilities vary from one company
to another.
• oil pipeline maintenance workers:
– check the equipment (pumps, motors, valves, traps) at
pumping stations and related sites
– co-ordinate operations with control centre operators
– monitor the quality of the products shipped
– make adjustments to the equipment
– respond to problems when they occur along the
pipeline system.

9. Tank farm operators
• In some companies, they employed at pumping stations, usually
located near tank farms (large storage facilities for oil and oil
products)
• From control room, They:
– monitor instruments that provide information about product levels in
storage tanks and the flow rates, pressures, volumes, densities and
temperatures of products being shipped
– `operate computers that remotely control valves, product separation
and pumps
– direct the work of gaugers and utility workers (described below)
– monitor the work of contract personnel while at the tank farm and
pumping station
– check various areas of the pumping station to ensure proper and safe
operation
– may check remote pumping stations.

10. Tank Farm Operators: Cont’d
• They report directly to station supervisors and
are expected to assume supervisory
responsibilities when station supervisors are
absent.

11. gaugers
• Gaugers may work at pumping stations
• Gaugers :
– make routine checks of the pumping station or remote stations
– take readings and make necessary adjustments
– keep detailed records of oil flow, temperature, density and pressure in the pipeline
– take samples of crude to evaluate quality
– take precise readings from meters
– send and receive pipeline scrapers
– maintain equipment
– determine month end tank inventories
– may prepare calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oil products.
• Under direct supervision, gaugers also may:
– route the correct product to the pumps from the tanks
– check to see that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters and
that meters are working properly
– take samples of various products
– conduct simple laboratory tests to check product quality and grade.

12. Utility workers
• Utility workers work closely with gaugers and
assist them with their work.
• As they gain experience, utility workers usually
are given more responsibility and, after two or
three years, may advance to gauger positions.
• In addition to their work with gaugers, utility
workers are responsible for general maintenance,
housekeeping in the pumping station (washing
walls, cleaning floors) and general site safety.

13. Oil Pipeline Control Centre Operator
• Oil pipeline control centre operators use sophisticated
computerized equipment to monitor and control
pipeline activities for large regions from one
centralized control centre
• From control rooms, they:
– monitor operations including flow and product quality
measures, storage levels, line
– balance and leak detection
– operate control valves, block valves, product separation
and pumps
– provide information to gaugers, maintenance and other
personnel (gaugers and utility workers)

14. Working Conditions
• Pipeline control centres generally are located in urban
areas where pipeline companies have their operating
headquarters.
• Oil pipeline control centre operators usually work in
offices surrounded by monitors, phones and other
electronic control equipment.
• Pipeline systems operate 24 hours a day, year round, so
control centre operators often work eight or 12 hour
rotating shifts.
• Shifts may include nights, holidays and weekends and
on-call shifts on a rotational basis.
• Overtime also may be required.

15. Personal Characteristics
Oil pipeline control centre operators need the following
characteristics:
• able to work changing shifts and remain alert
• precise, analytical and detail oriented
• responsible, able to take charge and handle high pressure
situations
• flexible
• excellent problem solving and decision making skills
• a safety conscious attitude
• good oral and written communication skills
• good colour vision to interpret colour computer graphics
• able to work effectively as a member of a team.

16. Personal Characteristics: Cont’d
• In an emergency
– Oil pipeline control centre operators must be able to
evaluate the situation and respond to it quickly and
correctly.
– The safety of a number of people and the efficient
operation of the oil pipeline system often depend on
their good judgment.
• Oil pipeline control centre operators should enjoy
controlling equipment, instruments and
machinery, analyzing information to solve
problems and working with others.

17. Knowledge Required
• Electrical Technology
• Electronics or instrumentation
• Chemical engineering technology
• Petroleum engineering technology
• Mechanical engineering technology
• field experience such as instrumentation,
electrical or mechanical maintenance in field
compressor or pumping stations and facilities

18. Gas Pipeline Operators and
maintenance Workers
• Known as Control Room Operator, Gas
Compressor Operator
• Gas pipeline operators and maintenance
workers monitor the day to day operations of
meter and compressor stations essential to
the distribution and smooth flow of gas
through pipelines

19. Gas compressor operators
• Gas compressor operators monitor
compressor and metering equipment and
maintain station areas.
• Gas pipeline companies may have different
categories of gas compressor operators.
• As people learn more about compressors and
metering, they usually are given more
responsibilities and move up to higher levels.

20. • Working Area
– Gas compressor operators usually work at several different compressor stations and meter
stations. At meter stations,
• they may:
– operate and monitor the operation of gas wells feeding into gathering systems
– monitor, program and adjust electronic and pneumatic measuring devices
– operate and maintain dehydrators and other wellsite equipment
– record the temperature, pressure and volume of gas in the pipeline
– take samples of gas and conduct basic tests
– analyze flow characteristics
– add chemicals to flow lines as required
– submit daily reports on facility operations.
• At compressor and measurement stations, they may:
– ensure that all equipment is operating normally and perform minor mechanical
– maintenance, adjustments and repairs
– take readings from the various gauges and instruments
– make manual adjustments to valves or equipment.

21. Gas compressor operators : Cont’d
• Gas compressor operators must be aware of
unusual changes in compressors and metering
operations.
• When problems occur, they usually are
responsible for handling the immediate problem
and recommending any necessary changes.
• They also may be required to paint, wash, clean
and do the general housekeeping necessary at
each station.

22. Gas Control Operators
In highly automated gas pipeline systems,
compressor stations and meter stations may be
controlled entirely by gas control operators at other
locations who:
• monitor meters, gauges, indicators and alarm
systems that provide information about the
temperature, flow, pressure and amount of gas at
any one place along the pipeline or at meter or
compressor stations
• keep regular records
• respond to problems when they occur

23. Gas Control Operators: Cont’d
• Gas control operators' duties vary with the
level of automation of the pipeline system.
• Those working with highly automated systems
may handle problems and make adjustments
by using equipment in a control room.
• Those working with less automated systems
may instruct other personnel to make manual
adjustments at the location of the problem or
at another control area.

24. Gas Control Operators: Working
Conditions
• Gas flows through pipelines around the clock, every day of the year,
so gas pipeline operators may 12 hour work shifts or be on call
outside of their regular Monday to Friday working hours.
• Gas pipline maintenance workers work outdoors in all kinds of
weather conditions and in remote locations.
• They also may be required to drive to a variety of stations to check
and repair equipment.
• All operators and workers are required to lift equipment weighing
up to 20 kilograms.
• Gas compressor operators, pipeline operators and maintenance
workers must be aware of potential hazards and know how to
handle emergency situations.
• Hazards include fluids under high pressure and deadly hydrogen
sulphide which often is a component of gas that comes directly
from the well.

25. Gas Control Operators: Personal
Characteristics
Gas pipeline operators and maintenance workers
need to be:
• precise
• responsible
• handy with tools
• interested in working with machines and
complex equipment
• comfortable around large, noisy equipment
• able to work on their own with little
supervision.

26. Gas Control Operators: Personal
Characteristics
Gas pipeline operators and maintenance
workers should enjoy:
• doing a variety of tasks
• controlling equipment, instruments and
machinery
• analyzing information to solve problems
• working alone and with others in a team.

27. Start to Work
• In larger companies, new employees usually are hired as
utility workers
• Initially, utility workers may do many of the physical jobs
such as cleaning, painting and maintaining pipeline stations
• As they gain experience, they may be given additional
responsibilities in other areas of compressor or meter
stations
• It often takes a few years before utility workers can
officially be classified as gas compressor operators
• During the training period, utility workers may have
opportunities to take in-house and technical school courses
on compressor, metering and control room operations

28. Gas Utility Operator
• Gas utility operators install and service gas utility
pipeline systems that transport natural gas from
its source to points of use such as building meter
sets.
• Gas utility systems include:
– gas transmission distribution systems under various
levels of pressure
– gas mains and services
– pressure controllers and regulators
– gas meter and measuring.

29. Gas Utility Operator: Cont’d
Gas utility operators:
• interpret prints and specifications to determine the location, size and materials
required to install gas mains
• install and maintain cathodic protection to prevent corrosion in steel and
aluminum pipes
• locate underground gas systems and conduct routine surveys of gas mains and
distribution lines to detect and locate escaping gas
• carry out routine gas system maintenance functions
• operate and maintain regulating, measuring and odourizing facilities
• provide information about underground gas distribution lines and observe
excavation work
• to ensure that underground gas facilities are protected
• investigate reports of gas leaks to determine the exact location and extent of leaks
• use equipment to expose gas lines and repair damaged pipes
• use laptop computers to keep records of work performed and the location and
condition of pipelines

30. Gas Utility Operator: Working
Conditions
• Gas utility operators work at physically demanding
tasks both indoors and outdoors.
• Operators generally work a 40 hour work week but
overtime may be required to deal with emergencies or
to meet construction deadlines.
• Working with explosive gases and power tools can be
dangerous.
• To avoid injury, gas utility operators must follow safety
codes and regulations and, during emergency
situations, follow the specified procedures.
• Operators may be required to lift items weighing up to
20 kilograms.

31. Gas Utility Operator: Personal
Characteristics
Gas utility operators need the following
characteristics:
• mechanical ability
• manual dexterity
• the intellectual ability to succeed in the
formal training
• the ability to get along well with customers
and fellow workers