Search

ONGC — a state owned company is engaged in exploitation of natural hydrocarbons from the east and the west coast of India, both near and far shore, from deep and shallow waters using both fixed and floating structures. The occurrence of marine fouling on fixed offshore structures has attracted interest because of its potential adverse effects on structural loading and corrosion. The biofouling is a complex biological process, their growth and attachment on offshore platforms is a universal phenomenon. The major biological growth of foulers do not differ much in tropical and other waters. An average growth of 5–10 cms. increases the structural load by about 5.5 to 11.5% necessiating the periodical mechanical removal, which appears to be the solution so far, for fixed offshore structures. This process is cost intensive and is a structural weakening process.