October 2008

One study reported that between 2006 and 2020, over 5,000 new plant and facility operators will be needed in the oil sands. As construction of more and more oil sands projects ends and production begins, there is a change in the kind of workers most needed. More maintenance trades are needed and less construction trades workers are needed. Also, companies now need more operating and technical employees, such as process operators, power engineers, and instrumentation technicians.

Opportunities
Recently, there have been over 80 job postings for process operators and power engineers, so there is great opportunity in Wood Buffalo for this occupation.

“Attrition is one reason (for the increased need) because a lot of the older guys are going to be coming to the age of retirement within a very short time and they will have to be replaced,” says John Cook, associate dean of technology with Keyano College. “The other reason is expansion of the existing plants and new plants starting up.”

Hazel White, recruitment advisor with Syncrude Canada Ltd. says they recently had a large number of process operator positions posted online because of their practice to promote staff within the company. While this is an entry-level position, most companies require that their employees have at least a high school diploma and their fourth class power engineering ticket. For more information on education, see Schools Offering Programs. 

Process operators
There are a few different kinds of process operators: refinery/upgrader process operator, gas plant operator, and oil and gas pipeline operator, to name a few. The jobs found in Fort McMurray are generally related to mineral and hydrocarbon processing in the oil sands industry.

When searching for jobs, be aware that there are a number of different job titles for process operators. Usually, the title of the job is based on the process the employee is involved with or by the unit in which the employee works. See the list on this page for other common job titles found recently on Job Bank.

Movement between industries
There are industries other than oil and gas where process operators can work, such as pulp mills and chemical plants. They may process different products, but employers will often consider hiring workers from these other industries.

“We have been successful in taking people that had previously worked in a paper mill,” says White with Syncrude. “The processes are certainly different. They’re dealing with paper, rather than oil, but we recently hired 18 (previous mill workers) and it’s my understanding that all 18 have gotten their fourth class tickets since coming to Syncrude. We still need people with refinery experience, but it is possible.”

Power engineering
Process operators in the Fort McMurray area generally have their fourth or third class power engineering certificate, which allows them to process steam and operate boilers. Other process operators, such as pulp mill operators, don’t necessarily need this.

In order to be called a power engineer, a person must be certified through the Alberta Boilers Safety Association to operate pressure equipment (www.absa.ca).

There are four different levels of power engineer—the lowest is fourth class, going up to first class. For more information on the Alberta Boilers Safety Association, contact their Fort McMurray office at 780-714-3067.

Field and control room operators
There are basically two levels of process operators in Fort McMurray: field operators and control room operators (or board operators).

“Primarily when someone is starting out, they’re in the field,” says Cook. “After a few years they can become a board operator if they want to do that. They are more experienced and are kind of like the team lead. They tell the field people what needs to be done and if it needs manual operation, (the field operators) go out and do it—turning valves, adjusting an instrument to control temperature, pressure, flow, or level.”

Process operators are responsible for the initial separation processes or the special treatment required to ensure that impurities such as water and sediments are removed from oil and gas in the field. Once separated, the oil or gas is transported by pipeline to refineries, gas plants or markets.

Some duties of a process operator are operating equipment to ensure that the oil meets specifications before it goes into a pipeline. Some of the equipment could be:

• compressors
• dehydration units
• vacuum and atmospheric distillation columns
• cokers
• fractionators
• pumps
• compressors
• steam turbines
• heat exchangers

“A process operator, whether in Fort McMurray, or in a gas plant in Medicine Hat, basically processes the upstream oil and gas until it’s purified enough to go through a pipeline outside the gates of the plant,” says Cook.

Co-op education
There are many power engineering programs around northern Alberta (see below) and some process operating courses. Keyano College offers co-ops for both courses and one of the advantages of this program, besides being in Fort McMurray, is the job placements which are provided.

“We only take as many students as we can guarantee work placement spots, and students have to compete for a seat,” says Cook. “We look at their educational background, their marks and then there’s an interview process with Keyano staff and industry people—just like applying for a job.”

Salary and benefits
The pay range for this occupation varies greatly depending on experience and training, but the range is about $20 to $47 per hour, but averages about $30 to $40 per hour.

Because these positions are for ongoing production and maintenance of oil sands projects, employees are expected to move to Fort McMurray, regardless of whether they are doing shift work or not.

Over the next few years, there will be many more opportunities for people wanting to get into a career in process operating or power engineering.

The information in this issue of Labour Market News was current as of the date shown. Employment outlook, salaries and educational programs may change. Please verify the information with additional sources before making career or business investment decisions. Contact us for more information.