How to become a chemical engineering technician
Official title: Chemical engineering technician (petroleum/natural gas)
Also called: Biofuel engineering technician, Biofuel processing technician, Chemical engineering technician (natural gas), Chemical engineering technician (petroleum), Petroleum processing technician, Petroleum refining technician, Petroleum testing technician, Operations and Maintenance Senior Technical Officer, Operations and Maintenance Technical Officer, Operations and Maintenance Technician, Town Gas Plant Maintenance Technician, Town Gas Production Senior Technical Officer
Chemical engineering technician (petroleum/natural gas) performs technical tasks, normally under the direction of a chemical engineer (petroleum), contributory to development of processes for the production of fuels. He/she provides technical support and service to design, construct, operate, maintain and repair fuel production facility. He/she may specialise in refining of crude oil, production of fuel products such as petrol, biofuel and paraffin fuels and lubricating oils and greases.
Main tasks
- Assisting in the research on and development of industrial chemical processes, plant and equipment, or testing prototypes
- Designing and preparing layouts of chemical plants according to the specifications given
- Preparing detailed estimates of quantities and costs of materials and labour required for manufacture and installation according to the specifications given
- Monitoring technical aspects of the construction, installation, operation, maintenance and repair of chemical plants to ensure satisfactory performance and compliance with specifications and regulations
- Conducting chemical and physical laboratory tests to assist scientists and engineers in making qualitative and quantitative analyses of solids, liquids, and gaseous materials
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Chemical Process Technology. You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
- Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Chemical Process Technology. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Chemical Engineering (Temasek Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Chemical engineering technician (excluding petroleum, natural gas and petrochemical)
- Chemical engineering technician (petrochemical)
- Food science technician
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Questions people ask
How do I become a chemical engineering technician?
Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.
Will AI change the work of a chemical engineering technician?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026
