- Overview
- Schedule
Course Dates: March 23 - 24, 2026
**This is the first part of the introduction to petroleum refining processing course, but can be taken as a stand alone course for non-technical team memebers. To enroll in the full Introduction course, click here: Intro to Petroleum Refining Course.
This live session will be hosted once and is set to GMT (UTC +0). We welcome participants from around the world! Be sure to check what time this corresponds to in your region. Use the
chart below as a quick guide, or reach out to us anytime at training@becht.com if you’re unsure.
| City / Region | Local Time (Feb 2026) | Time Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern U.S. (New York, Houston) | 08:00 – 13:00 | EST (UTC−5) |
| London, UK | 13:00 – 18:00 | GMT (UTC±0) |
| Amsterdam, Netherlands | 14:00 – 19:00 | CET (UTC+1) |
| Berlin, Germany | 14:00 – 19:00 | CET (UTC+1) |
| São Paulo, Brazil | 10:00 – 15:00 | BRT (UTC−3) |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | 15:00 – 20:00 | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Dubai, UAE | 17:00 – 22:00 | GST (UTC+4) |
| Singapore | 21:00 – 02:00 (+1 day) | SGT (UTC+8) |
Summary:
The student will be taught the purpose for refining and how refinery units fit together to achieve the business requirements. Units will be discussed, and product specifications and pooling will be introduced.
Outline:
1. How does a refinery fit into our overall business?
2. Our business is:
- Finding crude and gas
- Transporting crude to the refinery
- Converting crude into valuable products (REFINING!)
- Moving and marketing the products
3. This module will introduce you to:
- How a Refinery converts crude (and other feedstocks) into products
- What goes into the Refinery (crude and other feedstocks)
- What comes out of the Refinery (products)
4. The units inside of the Refinery which are used to create the products
5. Reminder of Potential Refinery Hazards
6. The Refining Process
- Understanding Crude
- Refinery Products and Specfications
7. Types of Refineries
- The Four Basic Refining Processes
- Typical Refining Units
- Balancing the Refinery
- Product Realization of Refinery Types
Who Should Attend:
This program is designed for non-technical personnel in petroleum refineries, corporate offices, and supplier companies who lack formal education in engineering and chemistry and don't work in highly technical environments. It benefits support personnel like environmental professionals, accountants, business managers, administrative and legal staff, sales and marketing personnel, insurance representatives, personnel managers, financial professionals, government officials, and newly-hired refinery plant operators. The course can also prepare individuals without technical backgrounds for the more detailed "Introduction to Petroleum Refining Processing" program .
Instructor:

Michael (Mike) Bober Mr. Bober holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He served as a Process Engineer, Project Developer, Economist, and Manager at Exxon’s Bayway Refinery for twelve years. He then joined Mobil Research and Development as an FCC Specialist. He managed technical training for Engineering, worldwide, until Exxon and Mobil merged in 2000. At this point, he managed worldwide technical training for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering and then retired from managing the Technical Portfolio for ExxonMobil’s Global Manufacturing Training initiative – with a combined service of 37 years to the two companies.