COURSE OVERVIEW:

The efficient operation of oil production and processing facilities is essential for maximizing recovery and ensuring that the final crude product meets refinery specifications. This course provides a detailed analysis of the mechanical and chemical processes involved in treating raw wellhead fluids. Participants will explore the entire processing chain, including separation, stabilization, dehydration, and produced water management, focusing on the practical challenges of maintaining steady-state operations.

The curriculum emphasizes a troubleshooting-oriented approach to facility management. Attendees will learn how to identify and resolve common operational upsets such as foaming in separators, emulsion stability in heaters, and paraffin deposition in flowlines. The course provides the tools to interpret process data, identify equipment bottlenecks, and implement structural changes that improve throughput and reduce operating costs. Safety and environmental compliance are integrated throughout, addressing the hazards of high-pressure operations and toxic gas handling.

In addition to standard processing, the course covers the auxiliary systems that support a production facility, such as chemical injection, power generation, and flaring systems. Participants will gain experience in analyzing process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) to understand the connectivity of the plant. By the end of the training, operations personnel and engineers will be equipped to manage complex facilities with high reliability and respond effectively to abnormal operating conditions.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

After completion of this course, the participants will be able to:

• Describe the primary functions of an oil processing facility.
• Explain the operating principles of two phase and three phase separators.
• Diagnose and resolve common separator issues like carry over and carry under.
• Understand the mechanics of crude oil stabilization and vapor pressure control.
• Implement effective emulsion breaking strategies using heat and chemicals.
• Operate and troubleshoot crude oil dehydration and desalting units.
• Manage produced water treatment systems to meet disposal regulations.
• Identify the causes of foaming and implement mitigation techniques.
• Optimize the chemical injection program for corrosion and scale control.
• Describe the function of the flare and relief systems in plant safety.
• Troubleshoot level and pressure control loops in processing equipment.
• Conduct a root cause analysis for recurring equipment failures.
• Formulate a daily monitoring plan to ensure facility integrity and efficiency.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

This course is designed for Facility Engineers, Production Operations Supervisors, Plant Operators, and Maintenance Engineers involved in the processing of crude oil.

TRAINING COURSE METHODOLOGY:

A highly interactive combination of lectures, discussion sessions, and case studies will be employed to maximise the transfer of information, knowledge, and experience. The course will be intensive, practical, and highly interactive. The sessions will start by raising the most relevant questions and motivating everybody to find the right answers. The attendants will also be encouraged to raise more of their questions and to share in developing the right answers using their analysis and experience. There will also be some indoor experiential activities to enhance the learning experience. Course material will be provided in PowerPoint, with necessary animations, learning videos, and general discussions.

The course participants shall be evaluated before, during, and at the end of the course.

COURSE CERTIFICATE:

National Consultant Centre for Training LLC (NCC) will issue an Attendance Certificate to all participants completing a minimum of 80% of the total attendance time requirement.