Microbial contamination is a major concern in oil/gas system or industrial water operation where it can result in multiple major corrosion issues and efficiency losses. Chemical treatment is the primary means to control microbial contamination, but due to changes in temperature and water sources, this results in major shifts in the microbial levels and populations which can influence the efficacy of these treatments. 

Due to the shifts in the number of bacteria and the change in the dominant microbial species, optimal dosage of biocide is very difficult.  Inadequate dosage regimen will result in major losses, whilst excess chemical dosage will incur unnecessary costs whilst also increasing the environmental load.  A quick, reliable microbial measurement will help identify critical control points in the process and will allow optimization of dosing of the treatment program.  

Agar growth, ATP, and media bottle testing have long been the standard for microbial detection, but these can lack the specificity, sensitivity and response time needed to adequately address the changing conditions in the industrial system described. The molecular-based approach, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), described in this article, provides a near real-time method to measure bioburden, allowing operational decisions to mitigate issues to occur more rapidly.