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Gas Chromatography Operation and Troubleshooting

Gas chromatography underpins fuel, petrochemical and environmental testing across South African refineries, gas plants and contract laboratories, yet many faults are traced to worn injection ports, contaminated columns or drifting detectors rather than the instrument software. This course builds practical skill in operating GC systems, diagnosing common faults, and applying preventive maintenance routines that keep uptime high in busy production laboratories.

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What you will be able to do

  • Explain the principles of gas chromatography separation and detector selection for fuel and gas analysis.
  • Operate GC instrumentation including sample introduction, column selection and detector optimisation.
  • Diagnose common causes of peak tailing, ghost peaks, baseline drift and loss of sensitivity.
  • Apply a structured troubleshooting sequence to isolate faults in injectors, columns and detectors.
  • Perform preventive maintenance tasks that extend column life and reduce unplanned downtime.
  • Interpret chromatograms and quality control charts to confirm instrument performance before releasing results.

Course outline

  1. 01Principles of Gas Chromatography Separation
  2. 02Sample Introduction and Injection Systems
  3. 03Column Selection and Stationary Phases
  4. 04Detector Types and Optimisation
  5. 05Common Fault Patterns and Causes
  6. 06Structured Troubleshooting Methodology
  7. 07Preventive Maintenance and Consumables
  8. 08Data Review and Quality Control Checks

Who should attend

This course is designed for GC analysts, instrument technicians, laboratory supervisors and process chemists who operate or support gas chromatography systems.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendarRegister
28 to 30 Sep 2026Lilongwe3US$1,500Closed
29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026Blantyre3US$1,500Register
30 Sep to 2 Oct 2026Mozambique3US$1,500Register
5 to 7 Oct 2026Nairobi3US$1,500Register
6 to 8 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam3US$1,500Register
7 to 9 Oct 2026Kigali3US$1,500Register
12 to 14 Oct 2026Kampala3US$1,500Register
13 to 15 Oct 2026Accra3US$1,500Register
14 to 16 Oct 2026Lagos3US$1,500Register
19 to 21 Oct 2026Cairo3US$1,500Register
20 to 22 Oct 2026Mauritius3US$1,500Register
21 to 23 Oct 2026Dubai3US$1,500Register
26 to 28 Oct 2026Online3US$900Register
18 to 20 Nov 2026Johannesburg3R13,000Register
23 to 25 Nov 2026Cape Town3R13,000Register
24 to 26 Nov 2026Durban3R13,000Register
25 to 27 Nov 2026Pretoria3R13,000Register
30 Nov to 2 Dec 2026Windhoek3US$1,500Register
1 to 3 Dec 2026Gaborone3US$1,500Register
2 to 4 Dec 2026Maseru3US$1,500Register
7 to 9 Dec 2026Mbabane3US$1,500Register
8 to 10 Dec 2026Lusaka3US$1,500Register
9 to 11 Dec 2026Harare3US$1,500Register

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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