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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace petroleum pump system operators?

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers. US occupation 51-8093.

4.1%

of the time petroleum pump system operators spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of petroleum pump system operators' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 271 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 63% of them.Further along than 63% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.

What AI already does for petroleum pump system operatorsWhat petroleum pump system operators no longer do alone

O*NET lists 24 tasks for petroleum pump system operators. AI use at work shows up in 1 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Record and compile operating data, instrument readings, documentation, and results of laboratory analyses.Core task mostly automated 1.00

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

23 of the 24 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Collect product samples by turning bleeder valves, or by lowering containers into tanks to obtain oil samples.Core task
  • Conduct general housekeeping of units, including wiping up oil spills and performing general cleaning duties.Core task
  • Control or operate manifold and pumping systems to circulate liquids through a petroleum refinery.Core task
  • Inspect pipelines, tightening connections and lubricating valves as necessary.Core task
  • Maintain and repair equipment, or report malfunctioning equipment to supervisors so that repairs can be scheduled.Core task
  • Monitor process indicators, instruments, gauges, and meters to detect and report any possible problems.Core task
Show the other 17
  • Operate auxiliary equipment and control multiple processing units during distilling or treating operations, moving controls that regulate valves, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary equipment.Core task
  • Operate control panels to coordinate and regulate process variables such as temperature and pressure, and to direct product flow rate, according to process schedules.Core task
  • Patrol units to monitor the amount of oil in storage tanks, and to verify that activities and operations are safe, efficient, and in compliance with regulations.Core task
  • Plan movement of products through lines to processing, storage, and shipping units, using knowledge of system interconnections and capacities.Core task
  • Read automatic gauges at specified intervals to determine the flow rate of oil into or from tanks, and the amount of oil in tanks.Core task
  • Signal other workers by telephone or radio to operate pumps, open and close valves, and check temperatures.Core task
  • Start pumps and open valves or use automated equipment to regulate the flow of oil in pipelines and into and out of tanks.Core task
  • Synchronize activities with other pumphouses to ensure a continuous flow of products and a minimum of contamination between products.Core task
  • Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly.Core task
  • Calculate test result values, using standard formulas.
  • Clamp seals around valves to secure tanks.
  • Clean interiors of processing units by circulating chemicals and solvents within units.
  • Coordinate shutdowns and major projects.
  • Lower thermometers into tanks to obtain temperature readings.
  • Perform tests to check the qualities and grades of products, such as assessing levels of bottom sediment, water, and foreign materials in oil samples, using centrifugal testers.
  • Prepare calculations for receipts and deliveries of oil and oil products.
  • Read and analyze specifications, schedules, logs, test results, and laboratory recommendations to determine how to set equipment controls to produce the required qualities and quantities of products.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, petroleum pump system operators rank 6. The group averages 0.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers at 12.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 4.1%

  1. 271Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers 4.1%
  2. 271Couriers and Messengers 4.1%
  3. 271First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers 4.1%

Just below

  1. 275Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary 4.0%
  2. 275Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare 4.0%
  3. 275Therapists, All Other 4.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.