Oil and gas infrastructure
After immersion, oil and gas are structures are colonized by marine organisms (anemones, mussels, sponges, and algae) that grow on the structure itself (biofouling). With submerged structures that have been decades in the water, biofouling becomes a problem when decommissioning obsolete oil- and gas-structures (biofouling can make up to 10-12% of the weight of the structure being removed). Owners of oil and gas installations are required to discontinue their offshore infrastructure at the end of the field's economic life. All installations will be recycled to land for disposal, reuse, or recycling.
The additional weight of biofouling on submerged structures, affects decommissioning-efficiency, has a negative environmental impact, and increases costs. Higher weight requires larger lifting vessels, larger transport fleets and tugs. At this moment, removing biofouling on land is the preferred option, but involves significant negative environmental and societal consequences. Finding landfill sites that accept biofouling and are close to decommissioning yards, as well as complaints about odors, are challenges that recycling yards must be handled. In situ cleaning of biofouling solves these problems by reducing the weight of the decommissioned oil- and gas constructions, and as the removed biofouling falls to the seabed, it becomes part of the natural marine environment. Bravo Marine has developed C-RAY® ROV, an underwater cleaning unit (ROV) capable of removing biofouling from round (pipe-like) surfaces (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal).
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See more under products: C-RAY® ROV
Oil and gas infrastructure
After immersion, oil and gas are structures are colonized by marine organisms (anemones, mussels, sponges, and algae) that grow on the structure itself (biofouling). With submerged structures that have been decades in the water, biofouling becomes a problem when decommissioning obsolete oil- and gas-structures (biofouling can make up to 10-12% of the weight of the structure being removed). Owners of oil and gas installations are required to discontinue their offshore infrastructure at the end of the field's economic life. All installations will be recycled to land for disposal, reuse, or recycling.