Operational Excellence
in Refining and Petrochemicals

Name: Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Training Course
Rating: 4.7 (1076 reviews)

Achieving World-Class Performance, Safety, and Sustainability in the Energy Industry

Course Schedule

Get your PDF guide and explore all course details.

Overview Objectives Who Should Attend? Methodology Outline Certificates

Why Choose Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Training Course?

The Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Course gives operations, engineering, and leadership professionals a comprehensive, structured framework for achieving and sustaining world-class operational performance across refining and petrochemical facilities covering process optimisation, asset reliability, process safety, digital transformation, and ESG integration.

Operational excellence in refining and petrochemicals is not a single initiative it is a sustained capability built across leadership, culture, process discipline, reliability management, safety excellence, and digital innovation. Organisations that embed OpEx systematically consistently outperform those that pursue improvement in silos — delivering better margins, safer operations, lower emissions, and greater resilience in a rapidly changing energy landscape.

This course addresses every pillar of that capability from lean and six sigma methodologies, digital twins, and predictive maintenance, through RCM, RBI, PSM, HAZOP, and LOPA, to energy transition strategies, AI and Industry 4.0 applications, ESG compliance, and the organisational change leadership needed to make OpEx sustainable. Case studies, workshops, and a final action planning session are integrated throughout.

The Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Course is built for professionals who want to move beyond operational improvement initiatives and develop the strategic capability to embed excellence across their entire organisation.

What are the Goals?

The Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Course is designed to develop comprehensive operational excellence capability — from OpEx foundations and process improvement through asset reliability, safety management, digital transformation, and ESG integration.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Explain the pillars of operational excellence and link OpEx strategy to corporate performance and business value
Define and apply KPIs and benchmarking frameworks to assess OpEx maturity across refining and petrochemical operations
Apply lean, six sigma, value stream mapping, and process re-engineering principles to eliminate waste and improve refinery margins
Use digital twins, advanced simulation, and real-time decision dashboards to support continuous process optimisation
Apply RCM, TPM, RBI, and FFS methodologies to improve asset reliability and extend equipment life
Implement predictive maintenance strategies using IoT, sensors, and data analytics
Apply PSM principles and conduct HAZOP, HAZID, LOPA, and root cause failure analysis to strengthen process safety
Apply international safety and compliance standards including API, OSHA, ISO, and IEC frameworks
Evaluate ESG integration, emissions reduction, hydrogen, CCUS, and alternative feedstock strategies within the energy transition
Apply AI, machine learning, Industry 4.0, and digital transformation principles to develop an organisation-specific Operational Excellence Roadmap

Who is this Training Course for?

The Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Course is designed for operations, engineering, maintenance, and leadership professionals who are responsible for or contribute to operational performance, reliability, safety, and continuous improvement across refining and petrochemical facilities.

This course is suitable for:

Operations managers and plant managers responsible for refinery and petrochemical facility performance and continuous improvement
Process engineers applying optimisation, lean, and six sigma methodologies to yield, throughput, and energy efficiency improvement
Reliability and maintenance engineers implementing RCM, TPM, predictive maintenance, and turnaround management strategies
Asset integrity professionals applying RBI, FFS, and condition monitoring frameworks to critical asset management
Process safety managers developing PSM programmes, conducting HAZOP, LOPA, and incident investigations
Senior leaders and executives driving OpEx culture change and building operational excellence roadmaps across their organisations

How will this Training Course be Presented?

The Operational Excellence in Refining and Petrochemicals Course is delivered through an engaging, application-focused learning approach that combines OpEx frameworks with hands-on workshops, case studies, and group exercises across every day. The course moves progressively from OpEx foundations through process optimisation, reliability management, safety excellence, and digital and ESG integration — culminating in a final action plan that delegates take directly back to their organisations.

Real-world refinery and petrochemical case studies are integrated throughout — grounding every framework in the operational realities of the industries delegates work in.

Delivery methods include:

Instructor-led sessions covering OpEx pillars, process improvement methodologies, reliability frameworks, safety management, and digital transformation
OpEx maturity assessment workshop helping delegates evaluate their organisation's current operational excellence capability
Lean, six sigma, and value stream mapping exercises applying waste elimination and process re-engineering to refinery and petrochemical scenarios
Digital twin and simulation sessions examining how advanced modelling tools support operational optimisation decisions
Reliability improvement workshops applying RCM, TPM, RBI, and predictive maintenance frameworks to critical asset scenarios
Operational Excellence Roadmap workshop and final action plan developing a personalised implementation roadmap for each delegate's organisation

The Course Content

Global challenges and opportunities in refining and petrochemical industries
The pillars of OpEx: leadership, culture, processes, and technology
Linking operational excellence to corporate strategy and business value
Key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarking world-class operations
Organizational culture and leadership alignment for performance excellence
Workshop: Assessing OpEx maturity in participants’ organizations

Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in refining and petrochemicals
Waste elimination and process re-engineering: value stream mapping
Energy efficiency, yield optimization, and throughput improvement
Process monitoring, KPIs, and real-time decision dashboards
Digital twins and advanced simulation for operational optimization
Case Study: Enhancing refinery margins through process improvements
Group Exercise: Designing a continuous improvement project plan

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) and Fitness-for-Service (FFS) methodologies
Predictive maintenance using IoT, sensors, and data analytics
Managing critical assets during shutdowns and turnarounds (TAR)
Strategies to minimize unplanned downtime and extend asset life
Case Study: Improving reliability performance in a petrochemical facility
Workshop: Building a reliability improvement framework for critical assets

Principles of Process Safety Management (PSM)
HAZOP, HAZID, and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) and incident investigation
International standards: API, OSHA, ISO, IEC compliance frameworks
Human factors and workforce engagement in safety culture
Operational risk management and emergency preparedness
Case Study: Transforming safety culture in a major petrochemical complex
Interactive Exercise: Simulated safety and risk assessment

The role of ESG in refining and petrochemicals: beyond compliance
Reducing emissions, flaring, and environmental footprint
The energy transition: hydrogen, CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage), and alternative feedstocks
Digital transformation: AI, machine learning, and big data in operations
Industry 4.0 and the rise of smart plants
Leading change: embedding OpEx into organizational DNA
Group Workshop: Creating an Operational Excellence Roadmap for participants’ organizations
Final Action Plan: Moving from learning to implementation

Certificate

AZTech Certificate of Completion for delegates who attend and complete the training course

In Partnership With

Do you want to learn more about this course?

Related Courses

Check out other training courses might interest you

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about our training courses

This course is designed for operations managers, process engineers, reliability and maintenance engineers, process safety managers, digital transformation leads, sustainability professionals, and senior leaders who are responsible for or contribute to operational performance, safety, and continuous improvement in refining and petrochemical facilities. It is equally suitable for those driving OpEx programmes within their organisations and those looking to understand and contribute to operational excellence from a specific functional perspective.

Day 3 dedicates full focus to asset reliability and integrity management — covering RCM, TPM, Risk-Based Inspection, Fitness-for-Service assessments, and predictive maintenance using IoT and data analytics. Delegates also work through the specific challenges of managing critical assets during shutdowns and turnarounds. A workshop on building a reliability improvement framework gives delegates a practical, structured output they can take directly back to their maintenance and reliability teams.

Human factors and workforce engagement in safety culture are addressed within Day 4 — examining how leadership behaviour, team dynamics, and organisational culture directly influence safety outcomes in process facilities. Delegates develop an understanding of why safety culture transformation requires more than procedure updates — and what leaders and managers must do differently to build the engaged, risk-aware workforce that sustained process safety excellence requires.

Day 2 covers process optimisation in full including lean and six sigma methodologies, waste elimination through value stream mapping, energy efficiency and yield improvement, and the application of digital twins and real-time decision dashboards to operational performance management. Delegates work through a group exercise to design a continuous improvement project plan leaving with a structured, practical approach to process improvement that can be applied immediately within their own facilities.

Day 4 covers process safety management comprehensively including PSM principles, HAZOP, HAZID, LOPA, root cause failure analysis, and the international compliance standards that govern process safety in refining and petrochemical environments. An interactive safety and risk assessment simulation exercise gives delegates direct experience of applying these tools to realistic scenarios — building the practical safety management confidence that is essential for anyone operating in high-hazard process environments.

Day 5 dedicates specific focus to ESG and energy transition — covering how ESG obligations are reshaping operational strategy in refining and petrochemicals, how emissions, flaring, and environmental footprint reduction are being pursued, and what hydrogen, CCUS, and alternative feedstock strategies mean for refinery and petrochemical asset planning. Delegates leave with a clear, informed perspective on how to integrate ESG considerations into operational excellence strategy rather than treating them as separate compliance obligations.