AI Resilience Report forPetroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Right now, AI in refineries is mostly being used to augment human operators rather than replace them. A clear example: Honeywell and TotalEnergies are running an AI-assisted control room pilot at the Port Arthur Refinery in Texas, where Experion Operations Assistant is an advanced AI-powered solution designed to transform the way operators monitor plant operations from the control room. Early results are striking — the AI-assisted solution has successfully forecasted five potential events, helping to minimize downtime and reduce emissions from flaring, with predictions made an average of 12 minutes in advance of an alarm incident.

BCG describes a broader shift in which AI agents can optimize refiners' production schedules, manage maintenance autonomously, and enhance operational reliability ^[1]. Inspection tasks — like checking pipelines and valves — are being augmented too, with AI-driven digital cameras helping with facility mapping and inspection reports on damaged equipment ^[2], and autonomous inspection robots emerging as a practical tool to improve safety ^[3] in hazardous areas. So data logging, monitoring, and pump coordination are getting smarter, while hands-on sampling and cleaning remain human work.

Adoption is moving steadily but not overnight. The economics are attractive — BCG estimates that companies taking full advantage of AI could deliver incremental profits reaching 30% to 70% of EBIT over the next five years ^[1], and major vendors like Honeywell are now rolling AI into digital process and automation technologies for big projects like the Dangote refinery ^[4]. Labor conditions also push adoption forward: refining jobs pay well — petroleum and coal products manufacturing had 44,970 production workers in May 2024 and generally paid higher wages than all industries combined ^[5] — and as skilled labor becomes harder to source, operators are rethinking how hazardous facilities are monitored ^[3].

But safety regulations, the explosive nature of refinery work, and aging equipment slow things down. As one industry analysis notes, traditional optimisation methods must be revised, necessitating a shift to AI-driven solutions — but plants must balance this with environmental and safety responsibility. The good news for you: human judgment in emergencies, hands-on sampling, inspection, and physical maintenance still matter a lot.

AI is becoming a powerful co-pilot — not the captain — and operators who learn to work with these tools will be the most valuable in the refineries of the future.