The Urgent Need of Bridging Our Extensive Knowledge to the Renewable Energy Sector: Conducting Failure Investigation of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) in the North Sea

Summary: October 2021 a 4 year COST Action was awarded by the European Union named “European MIC Network: New paths for science, sustainability and standards”. The proposal was structuctured and written during the pandemic by 91 proposers and the Euro-MIC network has currently 165 members world wide. This study gives the background for the establishment of the network and a review of the history and current state-of-the-art in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) research in engineering systems such as maritime, utility systems and the energy sector. The study highlights the importance of stronger collaboration between industry researchers and academia. It also identifies the various silos that exists among technical scientific disciplines and explains some of the existing barriers between them. Finally, the study highlights the importance of stronger emphasis on risk assessment models, industry biofilm standards and training of personnel, when it comes to the understanding, mitigation and management of MIC and biofouling.

Keywords: microbiologically influenced corrosion; biofouling; failure analysis, applied industry research

Introduction
This study gives a review of the history and current state-of-the-art in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) research in engineering systems such as maritime, utility systems and the energy sector. The study highlights the importance of stronger collaboration between industry researchers and academia. It also identifies the various silos that exists among technical scientific disciplines and explains some of the existing barriers between them. Finally, the study highlights the importance of stronger emphasis on risk assessment models, industry biofilm standards and training of personnel, when it comes to the understanding, mitigation and management of MIC and biofouling.

Results and discussion
MIC research in, for instance water, energy and maritime industries has seen a revolution over the past decade with the increased application of molecular microbiological methods (MMM) and new industry standards; however, MIC prediction, modelling, mitigation and the differentiation between MIC and abiotic corrosion are areas that have not been fully developed. Models can provide numerous benefits, e.g., guidance on MIC mitigation selection and prioritization, identification of data gaps, a scientific basis for risk-based inspections, and technical justification for asset design and life-extension.
This study highlights the importance of stronger collaboration between industry researchers and academia. It also identifies the various silos that exists among technical scientific disciplines and explains some of the existing barriers and how to overcome them.
The study will cover the latest failure analysis theory on how to integrate MIC in failure investigations mainly in the offshore oil and gas industry (Fig. 1). Two recent examples are given from the North Sea and the learnings are discussed in the light of the European Green Deal and the Energy Transition to Net Zero. Case 1 describes an oil transmission system in the UK sector of the North Sea suffering from MIC [1]. Case 2 describes the rupture of a water injection pipeline in the Danish Sector of the North Sea and what the operator learned from the incident in terms of mitigating MIC onwards [2]. Emphasis will be on practical sampling preservation, shipment and laboratory processing and lessons learned from the cases.
Further, the study highlights the importance of stronger emphasis on risk assessment models including MIC, industry standards and training of personnel, when it comes to the understanding, mitigation and management of MIC and biofouling in the oil, gas and renewable energy sector.
Finally, the presentation will give the latest news on the current and future activities in the newly formed COST Action CA20130 – “European MIC Network: New paths for science, sustainability and standards” (Fig.2).