Petroleum and petrochemical production and processing facilities are complex systems of buildings, equipment, tanks and machines. Mechanical maintenance planners are responsible for developing and implementing scheduled and planned maintenance to the multitude of components of these systems to ensure continued safe and efficient operations as well as to ensure maximized production and cost control for the operators.
I'm interested in a career in
Oil and gas
- Sub-sector Exploration and production, Oil sands, Oil and gas services, Pipelines
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
- Sub-sector Carbon capture, utilization and storage, Emissions reduction
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Direct
The skills gained as a maintenance planner in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to the same role in the emissions sub-sector of cleantech. Workers may find some minor upskilling is required to transition to the same role in the CCUS sub-sector.
In addition to the activities below, other activities in the cleantech sector may include:
- Maintaining equipment and technology involved in the Measurement, Monitoring & Verification (MMV) of carbon capture and storage. (CCUS)
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to cleantech include:
- Primarily indoor/office work (CCUS | emissions reduction)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (CCUS | emissions reduction)
- Safety-sensitive environment (CCUS | emissions reduction)
- Transition to a lower level (CCUS)
- Transition to a similar level (emissions reduction)
- Career development fostered/supported (CCUS)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
The cleantech sector is further divided into sub-sectors:
CCUS
- Transferability: Refocus
- Skills upgrade: Minor
Emissions reduction
- Transferability: Direct
- Skills upgrade: None
What does this mean for workers?
Workers will find that the ease of a career change from oil and natural gas into cleantech may vary by sub-sector. Workers should expect there could be differences in the need to upskill, gain knowledge and experience and varying work environments. Further research on the sector or consultation with a career advisor may be required.
- Sub-sector Contracted and turnaround maintenance
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
Congratulations! The skills gained as a maintenance planner in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to the contracted and turnaround maintenance project life cycle phase of industrial construction and maintenance in energy.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to industrial construction and maintenance include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Travel required (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Work away from home/in camps (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Primarily indoor/office work (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Physical work (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Temporary/project-to-project work (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Freelance/contract opportunities (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Safety-sensitive environment (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Transition to a similar level (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A maintenance planner in oil and natural gas planning a career change to the digitization and automation in energy sector, may find the need to complete minor upskilling and adjust to working in an environment where people, machines, systems equipment and components communicate and cooperate with each other to achieve self-managing process, production and mechanical operations. An increase in computer, software and technology use should be expected.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to digitization and automation include:
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
Congratulations! The skills gained as a maintenance planner in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to LNG facility operation.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
In addition to the requirements below, specific requirements in LNG facility operation may include:
- Project management certification such as the PMP designation.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to LNG include:
- Potential for relocation
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
Good news! The skills gained as a maintenance planner in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to petrochemicals and refining.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to petrochemicals and refining include:
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
- Potentially unionized
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
- Sub-sector Geothermal, Solar, Wind
- Environment Primarily indoor/office work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
The skills of a maintenance planner in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to the geothermal sub-sector of renewables, however, a worker planning a career change to the solar sub-sector of renewables may need to complete some minor upskilling, including increasing knowledge of photovoltaic (PV) panel and solar system maintenance. The average salary range for a maintenance planner working in the solar sub-sector may be lower than the average oil and natural gas salary range.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Creating, using and maintaining plant history to develop future maintenance requirements for equipment, forecasting operational impacts and cost projections.
- Developing specific maintenance plans for various equipment and mechanical resources.
- Coordinating reports from maintenance technicians and using information to develop system-wide and location and/or equipment maintenance plans.
- Preparing work plans based on logical sequencing of events and associated tasks.
- Conducting site inspections to determine maintenance requirements and scopes of work for specific maintenance projects.
- Identifying parts, materials, tools, external services and resources required to undertake successful preventative maintenance and unscheduled repair work.
- Developing standard maintenance procedures to adhere to regulatory requirements and equipment standards and company policies.
- Ensuring the ongoing validity of safety permits for sites and/or equipment.
Education
- Completion of a university degree in Mechanical Engineering or 2-3 year college diploma program in mechanical or electrical engineering technology are usually required.
Certifications
- Certification in mechanical engineering technology or in a related field is available through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians and may be required for some positions.
Licensing
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Additional Requirements
- Depending on the company and responsibilities, typical requirements may include:
- Strong skills in and experience using project management and maintenance planning software such as SAP, Maximo and Primavera
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to renewables include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (solar | wind)
- Travel required (solar | wind)
- Potential for relocation (geothermal)
- Primarily indoor/office work (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Safety-sensitive environment (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Transition to a similar level (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Rural location (solar | wind)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural include:
- Minimal or no travel
- Primarily indoor/office work
- Work not physically demanding
- Administration
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Application of Engineering Design and Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Production and Processing
- Works Safely
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Interpreting Documents/Plans
- Preventative Maintenance
- Managing Material Resources
- Systems Evaluation and Analysis
- Coordination
- Professional Judgment and Decision Making
- Planning and Organizing
The renewables sector is further divided into sub-sectors:
Geothermal
- Transferability: Direct
- Skills upgrade: None
- Average salary range: Equal to oil and gas
Solar
- Transferability: Refocus
- Skills upgrade: Minor
- Average salary range: Less than oil and gas
Wind
- Transferability: Refocus
- Skills upgrade: Minor
- Average salary range: Less than oil and gas
What does this mean for workers?
Workers will find that the ease of a career change from oil and natural gas into renewables may vary by sub-sector. Workers should expect there could be differences in the need to upskill, gain knowledge and experience, expected salary range and varying work environments. Further research on the sector or consultation with a career advisor may be required.
