A professional who controls pumps and manifold systems to circulate crude, semiprocessed, and finished petroleum products, water, and chemical solutions through processing, storage, and shipping departments of refinery, according to schedules. Respnsibilities include:

• Reads operating schedules or instructions from oil dispatcher.
• Plans movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, utilizing knowledge of interconnections and capacities of pipelines, valve manifolds, pumps, and tankage.
• Synchronizes activities with other pumphouses to ensure continuous flow of products and minimum of contamination between products.
• Starts battery of pumps, observes pressure meters and flowmeters, and turns valves to regulate pumping speeds according to schedules.
• Turns handwheels to open line valves and direct flow of product.
• Signals still-pump operator; pumper helpers; and gaugers by telephone or radio to operate pumps in designated units, to open and close pipeline and tank valves, and to gauge, sample, and determine temperature of tank contents.
• Records operating data, such as products and quantities pumped, stocks used, gauging results, and operating time.
• May blend oils and gasolines.
• May repair pumps, lines, and auxiliary equipment.