Bug-Tracker Microbial Monitoring

Bug-Tracker ® monitors the effects of microbial bio-deterioration on industrial infrastructure and assets.

Biodeterioration of a substance (metal, fluid or gas) or process (such as flow, filtration, and separation) is brought about by the activity of microorganisms. Bug-tracker ® is Intertek Commercial Microbiology’s microbial monitoring service, predicting the effects of biodeterioration on the productivity and profitability of your business, and developing a strategy to manage and mitigate the issue.

Bug-Tracker provides a practical management tool providing a focal point for effective, efficient microbial monitoring and control. Bug-Tracker analyses and models the behaviour of the bacteria which could conspire to bring your operations to a grinding, expensive halt - and allows you to step in and do what is necessary to deal with them before the problem spirals out of control.

Microscopic microbes (bugs) cause infrastructure and system damage in variety of ways:  

• Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) of steels and alloys
• Hydrocarbon reservoir souring
• Toxic hydrogen sulphide gas releases
• Emulsion formation and poor separation efficiency
• Blockages in hydraulic and diesel fuel systems due to biomass
• Water quality deterioration in emergency water systems
• Loss of nitrite corrosion inhibitor in cooling media
• Fluorescence in situ Hybridization Microbe Analyses 

The impact of microbes on infrasture is expensive and harsh on the oil and gas offshore industry. If corrective action is taken too late, emergency remedial action is needed once system failures and operational instabilities occur. In extreme cases, control is only “regained” by replacement of materials or complete abandonment of the process.

Intertek Commercial Microbiology gives you control, instead of waiting for microbes to do their thing and cause expensive or irreparable damage to your assets, infrastructure or reserves. Bug-Tracker optimises spending and man-hour resources in applying controls by encompassing the entire scope of measures to combat the detrimental microbial activity which could have a major effect on your operations.

Contact us to see how Intertek can help your organization with Bug-Tracker Microbial Monitoring.