Abstract
Despite the fact that it has long been recognised that microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) and reservoir souring is directly linked to the development of bacterial biofilms, the sessile bacteria that produce these biofilms are still not always monitored. This paper discusses the essential requirement to monitor sessile bacteria in biofilms and the range of monitoring tools available; from direct microscopic examination to genetic techniques. The paper highlights the absolute requirement to monitor biofilms if their problematic activity is to be controlled by the application of biocides, nitrate, etc. The paper demonstrates how currently available bacterial monitoring methodology can provide useful, representative and reproducible data for monitoring bacterial contamination and optimise the efficacy of control measures in oilfield samples, if applied correctly. The message must be accepted by those responsible for bacterial monitoring and control that until they begin to rigorously apply the standard methods already available to them there is little hope of any progress in the overall control of problematic bacterial activity in the oilfield for the foreseeable future.
