TP26-24 Bacteria Management Strategies for Refineries and Chemical Plants

Refineries and chemical plants have a robust opportunity to manage bacteria proliferation in cooling waters due to the development of new inline sensors and additional bacteria test methods that can measure reduced heat transfer efficiency and increased health risks from biofilm. This paper starts with the awareness of risks by key stakeholders in industrial plants, followed by current operating and turnaround practices and the associated assessment and prioritization of risks. Plant operators can dramatically reduce the loss of heat transfer and the risk of health issues by implementing a consistent focus for biocide treatment and biofilm management, equipment maintenance, effective monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and prompt action on the recommendations from the chemical supplier.