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Home (/home) / Diagnosing Microbiologically Inuenced Corrosion in a Pipeline

DiagnoingMicroiologicallInfluencedCorroionin
aPipeline
By Kathy Riggs Larsen, Associate Editor on 5/20/2015 9:05 AM

Acolorimageofacteriainaio lmaviewedunderepi uorecentmicrocop.The

amplewatainedwith uoreceiniothiocanate(FITC)(ellowcolor),and4-,6-
diamidino-2-phenlindole(DAPI)(luecolor).taincantargetvarioucomponentof
acterialcellandeuedwithgeneticproeforidenti cationofpeci cmicroe.
PhotocourteofRichardckert,DNVGL.
 FACEBOOK TWITTER LINKEDIN EMAIL

M
icroorganimthehaveeenaroundforillionofearandcanliveinincredildif cultenvironmentandunderextremel
everecondition.Theutilizeexceptionalldiverefoodourceandomeoftheproductproducedtheirmetaolimcan
edamagingtometal.Thecorroionofamaterialwhenthepreenceofmicroorganimplaaroleiniknowna
microiologicallin uencedcorroion(MIC).Activitieofacteria,Archaea,andfungiincoloniethatcreateio lmon
urfaceofmaterial,orinlocalenvironmentthatdirectlcontactmaterial,canreultinMIC;andmotmetal,awella
omenonmetal,caneaffectedthitpeofcorroion.
AccordingtoNACtandardTM0212-2012,1whichfocueondetecting,teting,andevaluatingMIConinternalpipelineurface,MICtpicall
takeplaceinthepreenceofaconglomerateofmicroecompriedofmultipletpeofmicroorganim.Dependingontheenvironment,thee
microemaincludemetal-oxidizingacteria,ulfate-reducingacteria(R),acid-producingacteria(AP),metal-reducingacteria(MR),
andmethanogen.Thepreenceofmicroorganimmacreateconditionthatfotercorroioninitiation,ortheirmetaolicreactionma
maintainconditionthatpromotecontinuedcorroion.MICdoenotproduceviualluniquecorroionmorpholog.Intead,MICoftenreultin
pitting,crevice,underdepoit,andgalvaniccorroion,awelladealloing.

Oneofthemotprofoundchallengethatcorroionprofeionalfacewhentringto
identifMICimakingaconnectionetweenthemicroorganimpreentinatem
andthecorroionexperiencedthattem,aNACInternationalmemerRichard
.ckert,eniorprincipalengineercorroionmanagement,MaterialAdvior
ervice,withDNVGLNorthAmericaOil&Ga.Intheoilandgaindutr,
microorganimcanefoundinnearleveroilandgaproductionenvironment,
epeciallpipeline.Theinhaittheulk uidthat owthroughoilandgapipeline,
andaloformio lmontheinternalurfaceofpipe.ckert,whoerveachairof
NACTakGroup(TG)254,whichpulihedTM0212-2012,commentthatthepreence
ofmicroorganimdoentnecearilmeanthearethecaueoflocalizedcorroion.In
anenvironment,hea,thereareuuallmultiplefactorthatcontriuteto
corroion,anddifferentcorroionmechanim,includingMIC,canreultintheame
corroionmorpholog.Thiiwhitcrucialtoverifthereiaclearrelationhip
etweentheio lmandcorroion,hetree.Forexample,corroioncouldecauedanaioticreactionfueledthepreenceofwaterand
oxgenthatdoentinvolvemicroorganimatall,eventhoughthearepreent.

Thereareeveralojectivefordeterminingthecharacteriticofamicroiological
preencewherecorroionifound.Theeincludeetalihingaconnectionetween
microiologicalactivitieandcorroionreactionandcorroionproductinaparticular
environment;identifingpeci cmicroethatupportthecorroionmechanimeen
inthatenvironment;andaociatingthecorroionreaction/corroiondamagewiththe
preenceofmicroeatomepointinthecorroionproce.2TM0212-2012tatethat
threeconditionneedtoemettovalidateMICathecaueofinternalcorroion.
Aumingthereinoknownorupectedcontaminationfromoutideource,the
rtconditioniademontrationofincreaedlevelofpeci ctpeofviale
microorganim(acteriaorfungi)aociatedwiththecorroion,acomparedto
ampletakenoutideofthecorrodedarea.
Theecondconditionitheidenti cationofchemicalindicatorinthecorroded
areathatupportthemicroiologicalevidence(e.g.,elevatedleveloful deor
ulfurinpitdepoitforR,ororganicacidforAP).
Thethirdconditionitheidenti cationofioticfactoratheprimarcontriutor
tothecorroiondamage.Thenatureofthecorroiondamagetothepipeline
temhouldeconitentwiththenatureoftheidenti edmicroorganim()
andtheirproductorphicalin uenceoncorroioncellformation.For
example,ifvialeAPormethanogenareconcentratedatthecorroiondamage
relativetotheenvironment,andevidenceoftheirmetaolicactivit(organic
acid)ideterminedtoeaociatedwiththecorroion,thenatureofthe
corroiondamagehouldeconitentwiththeeoervation(e.g.,accelerated
corroiondamageorpittingeneaththeio lm).Thiianimportanttepina
diagnoiofMICecaueitioftendif culttodicernetweentherelative
contriutionofvariouioticandaioticfactorthataffectlocalizedcorroion.
ToproperldiagnoeMIC,invetigationhouldcomprieacominationofchemical,metallurgical,andmicroiologicalanale.TM0212-2012
preentinformationonamplecollection,tetingmethod,corroionmonitoring,andhowtorelatethereulttoMIC.

ampling
amplingprogramgenerallcollectinformationonoperatingcondition,corroionrate,andmicroiologicalconditionoveraperiodoftimeo
antrendinthe ndingcaneidenti ed.Alo,duetonormaltatiticalvariationaociatedwithamplecollectionandmicroiological
teting,morerelialedatatpicallreultfromperformingtetonamplerepreentingatimerangeratherthananingleample.Data
collectionandanalihouldfocuondifferentiatingtheeffectofioticandaioticfactoronthelikelihood,location,caue,andeveritof
internalcorroion.
ampleofulk uidfrompipelineareoftencollectedtoidentifandquantiflevelofplanktonic(moving)microorganim.Toenurethattet
reultarerelevanttoMIC,datafromulk uidhouldecorrelatedwithotherpipelinedata,includingliquidcompoition,operational
condition,eile(attached)microorganimcount,andcorroiondata.inceothcorroionandmicroiologicalactivitmaoccurdirectlon
theinternalurfaceofapipeline,amplethatarerepreentativeoftheeurfacemaprovideigni cantinformationandhouldecollected,
wheneverpoile,inconjunctionwitheachliquidampleretrieved.ckertnotethatitcaneverdif culttoinferwhatihappeningonthe
pipelineinternalurfaceaedolelonthecompoitionoftheulk uidecauethereintalwaaclearrelationhipetweenwhatifound
ontheurfaceandwhatcomprietheulk uidphae.Themicroorganimlivingintheulk uid(tpeandquantitieofmicroe),andeven
thechemicalcompoitionoftheulk uid,canefardifferentthanwhatifoundontheinternalpipeurfacethateenwelletalihedin
reearch,headd.

MicroiologicalTeting
Microorganimarehighlenitivetoenvironmentalchangethataffectnutrientavailailit, owrate,temperature,alinit,thepreenceof
diolvedgae,etc.Additionall,manchemicalproducedmicroialmetaolim(e.g.,organicacidandul decompound)canequickl
oxidizedordegradedenvironmentalchange.ecaueconditioncanchangerapidlonceaampleiremovedfromthepipeline,certaintet
relevanttoMICinvetigationormonitoringhouldeperformedaoonafteraampleicollectedapoiletootainreultthataccuratel
repreentpipelinecondition.Hitoricall,theailittowiftltetamplehaeenonefactorthathalimitedmeaningfuldatacollectionfor
ueinaeingpipelineforMIC,utimprovementintechnologhaveincreaedtheavailailitofmoretpeoftetandophiticated
analefor elduewhereampleareacollected,ckerta.
Varioutetingmethodareuedtodeterminemicroiologicalcondition,uchathe
pecieofmicroorganimpreentinaample,thetotalnumerofliveacteria,and
comparionofthepopulationizeofvariouaundantmicroorganim.Theemethod
includemicroiologicalculturetechnique;microcop;meaurementofacteria-
producedenzme,uchahdrogenae,anenzmeproducedacteriathatue
hdrogenaanenergource,andadenoinephophoulfate(AP)reductae,an
enzmepeci callaociatedwithR;andmolecularmicroiologicalmethod
(MMM),whicharegenetic-aedtetingmethod.Mantime,MICicauedthe
activitieofeveraldifferentorganimthatformacommunit,andpipelineanali
hatpicallincludedtetingforR,AP,generalaeroicandanaeroic
microorganim,and,inomecae,iron-depoitingandiron-reducingacteria.
Whenuingmicroiologicalculturetechnique,theojectiveitoapproximatetheize
ofthevialemicroorganimpopulationinaolidorliquidampleuingemi-
quantitativeetimate,orpreferal,themotproalenumer(MPN)method.3
Althoughtheculturetechniqueiwelletalihedintheindutr,commentckert,
onedrawackithetpeofmicroorganimthatcaneculturedinliquidmediamaonlrepreentamallpercentageofthoepreentinthe
olidor uidecaueomemicroorganim,uchaArchaea,areverdif culttocultivateuingthimethod.
Microcopifrequentluedtodeterminetheoverallnumerofmicroorganim
preentinliquidorludgeampledirectlwithoutregardtotheirpecieandhaeen
utilizedaananalimethodformanear.pi uorecentmicrocopiatechnique
thathelpdifferentiatemicroorganimfromderi,andalocaneuedtoexamine
microorganimpeci ccellulartructure.amplearetreatedwithatainthat
uorecewhenviewedunderapeci cwavelengthofultraviolet(UV)light.Uing
energdiperivepectrocop(D)toexamineampleprovideinformationonthe
elementalcompoitionofmaterial(e.g.caleandcorroionproduct)andthe
ditriutionofthecontituentintheample.Analiwithx-radiffraction(XRD)
identi ethemineralogicalcompoundpreent.Forexample,ckerta,Dwould
revealthatcaronandoxgenarepreentintheample,whileXRDwouldhowthat
ironcaronatetpicallacorroionproductithereawell.Methoduchaga
chromatograph-mapectrometr(GC-M)orhigh-preureliquidchromatograph
(HPLC)areuedinthelaoratortodetermineifanorganicacidarepreentintheamplethatmaeaproductofacterialactivit.
Additionall,tetingforthepreenceofthehdrogenae,anenzmeproduced
acteriathatuehdrogenaanenergource,iamethoduedtoitemizeacteria
populationincorroiondepoitandwaterampleinthe eld.Meaurementof
adenoinephophoulfate(AP)reductae,anenzmepeci callaociatedwithR,
provideanindicationoftheactiveRconcentrationpreentinaacterialample.
Geneticmethodhaverecentlecomeincreainglavailalefordetecting,quantifing,
andidentifingmicroorganimpreentatcorroionite.MMMareculture-
independentapproachethatanalzeampledirectlmeauringthegenetic
materialthecontain.ecauemicroorganimgrowthpriortotetinginotrequired,
MMMneedonlvermallample,withorwithoutliveacteria,foranali.Once
geneticmaterialareextractedfromtheample,aaareperformedinthelaorator,
whichrendermorepreciequanti cationofvarioutpeofacteriapreentthan
culturetet.
ckertnotethattwoMMM,
Internal corrosion of a pipeline caused by MIC. Photo courtesy of
quantitativepolmerae Richard Eckert, DNV GL.
chainreaction(qPCR)and
denaturinggradientgelelectrophorei(DGG),areoftenuedincominationto
analzegeneticample.TheqPCRmethod,amethodthatigainingmomentumfor
determiningtheidentitofmicroorganimincomplexenvironmentalample,applie
amodi edPCRtoreplicateaingleoreveralpieceofDNAacroeveralorderof
magnitudeothatmillionofcopieofparticularDNAequencearegenerated.The

A micrograph shows Desulfovibrio vulgaris, a species of sulfate-
reducing bacteria that reducing sulfate to hydrogen sulde (H2S).
qPCRmethodmeaureliving,inactive,anddeadmicroorganimandmaeuedto
countthetotalnumerofmicroorganimorapeci cgenu/pecieofmicroorganim
innearlantpeofample,includingproduced uid,oil/emulion,andolid.Thi
methoduentheticDNAtaggedwitha uorecentmoleculetoidentifpeci c
target(microorganimofinteret[e.g.,R])ecaueoftheirpotentialin uenceon
corroionmechanim.
DGGcomparemicroialcommunitieacroanumerofdifferentample.With
DGG,geneticmaterialinindividualampleiampli edPCRanduequentl
comparedortingmoleculeaedontheirreactiontoanelectric eld
(electrophorei).ThiMMMiuedforidentifingdominantgroupofmicroorganim
inindividualampleandforevaluatinghowthemicroorganimareditriuted
etweenample.
Anotheremergingapproach,next-generationequencing(NG),enaleidenti cation
ofallthemicroorganiminaampleratherthanpeci ctargetedpecie.The
approachwillnotprovidepeci cnumerofparticularorganimintheample,ckert
explain;utinteaditdeliveranaphotofthediveremicroialpopulationandhow
itiditriutedintheample.

CorroionMonitoring
ecaueMICcannotediagnoedolelwithmicroiologicaldata,theetapproachto
determiningthepreenceofinternalMICinapipelineitointegrateotherapplicale
pipelineandcorroiondatawithmicroiologicaltetreult.Theedatainclude
operatingcondition( owrate,temperature,preure,piggingfrequenc,andchemical
treatmentinjectionrate);chemicalcompoitionofthegae,liquid,andolid
tranported;datafromcorroioncouponandproethathowtherateofcorroion,
pitting,andmetalloawellathecorroionproductpreent;androutineinpection
reult.Dataanalihoulddemontratethatmicroorganimandtheiractivitie,a
oppoedtoaioticmechanim,arereponileforprovidingthepredominantin uence
overthecorroionmechanimpreentinthepipeline.
Monitoringthecorroiveneofpipelinecontentifrequentldoneuingcoupon
The graph depicts data collected from a qPCR analysis. Image courtesy
of Microbial Insights.
inertedintothepipelineatlocationwherecorroioniapotentialthreat.When
poile,corroionmonitoringdataandmicroiologicaltetdatahouldecollected
fromtheamelocation.Corroionproductmaetakenfromthemetalurface,alining,orfromapitunderneathadepoitthathaeen
removed.Whencorroionmonitoringandmicroiologicalmonitoringareperformedatdifferentlocationonapipeline,therelationhipetween
thetwotetlocationhouldeidenti ed(e.g.,uptream,downtream,imilaroperatingcondition,etc.).
implreducingthenumerofvialemicroorganiminapipelinetemwont
necearilcontrolinternalcorroioninthepipelinetem.Amitigationtrateg
tpicalladdreeoththemicroiologicalandcorroionthreatwhereMICipreent.
Knowingtheidentitandcharacteriticofthemicroorganimpreentandhowthe
interactwiththepipelinetempromoteanundertandingoftheirimpactonthe
corroionthatieingexperienced,whichiimportantwhendevelopingamitigation
trateg.Auccefulmitigationtreatmentcanonledeignedwhentheprolemha
eenproperldiagnoed.GeneralinformationaoutmethodforcontrollingMIC
deign,operation,andpeci cmeaure,uchamaintenancepiggingandiocide
treatment,canefoundinNACtandardP0106.4Inpectiontechniquecommonl
uedtodetectandmonitorcorroion-relateddamagegenerallincludeviual
inpection,ultraonicteting(UT),radiographicteting(RT),andmagnetic ux
method.Thereultcaneuedtoetalihtheorientation,ditriution,denit,ize, The graph depicts data collected from an NGS analysis. Image courtesy
hape,andextentofinternalcorroiondamage.Inlineinpection(ILI)maprovide of Microbial Insights.

informationaoutthelocationandeveritofinternalcorroionrelativetooperating
parameter,deign,elevation,andotherconideration;andILIdatamaeuedtoidentifamplelocationformicroiologicalandchemical
tetingofpipeline uid.AwithmotdatarelatedtoMICaement,longer-termoperatingparametertrendarepreferredoveroneorafew
datapointatheeprovidemoreprecieinformation.
ditornote:NACtandardTM0212-2012applietotheinternalurfaceofpipeline,anddecrietpeofmicroorganim,mechanimwhich
MICoccur,methodforamplingandtetingforthepreenceofmicroorganim,reearchreult,andinterpretationoftetreult.Itdecrie
methodologiewhichtheappropriatetoolandtechniquemaeelectedandpracticallapplied.Themethodpreentedinthitandardrepreent
thegeneralconenuofindutrexpertinpipelinecorroionandmicroiologatthetimethitandardwapulihed.Thitandardtetmethodwa
preparedTG254,MicroiologicallIn uencedCorroiononInternalurfaceofPipeline:Detection,Teting,andvaluationtandardTet
Method.TG254iadminiteredpeci cTechnologGroup(TG)35,Pipeline,Tank,andWellCaing.ThitandardiiuedNACunderthe
aupiceofTG35.

Reference
1NACTM0212-2012,Detection,Teting,andvaluationofMicroiologicallIn uencedCorroiononInternalurfaceofPipeline(Houton,
TX:NACInternational,2012).
2R.ckert,T.L.kovhu,UingMolecularMicroiologicalMethodtoInvetigateMICintheOilandGaIndutr,MP50,8(2011).
3NACTM0194-2014,FieldMonitoringofacterialGrowthinOilandGatem(Houton,TX:NAC,2014).
4NACP0106-2006,ControlofInternalCorroioninteelPipelineandPipingtem(Houton,TX:NAC,2006).

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