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INFORMATION BULLETIN MICROBES AND CORROSION IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY ospmicrocheck.com Problem Corrosion is a major concern for the oil and gas industry – from upstream through to downstream operations. Well Drilling & Completions UPSTREAM Production & Refining Facilities Gathering & Transmission Pipelines Terminals & Tanks DOWNSTREAM Metal failure due to corrosion manifests as pitting, pinholes, cracks, parted pipe, and leaks. These issues not only create safety concerns – both for the environment and employees – but generate costly capital asset replacement and repairs. Cause Because of the serious consequences, corrosion prevention is a major area of research for the oil and gas industry. With the discovery of microbial influenced corrosion (MIC), focus has turned to the biological mechanisms. What are microbes? Microbes, or bugs, refer to bacteria – microscopic organisms that, depending on the type, can do positive things like help us digest our food, make cheese and clean up oil spills, or negative things like cause infections, spoil food and sour wells. The reason bacteria can do all of these things is that they vary widely in what they need to grow and divide. For example, there are bacteria that require oxygen (aerobic) and those that don’t (anaerobic). As for nutritional requirements, bacteria can feed on anything from hydrocarbons (organic) to minerals in rocks (inorganic). The universal requirement is water – where there is water, there are bacteria. This is why it is so important to understand the role bacteria play in oil and gas applications that involve water. ospmicrocheck.com How do microbes affect corrosion? The reason MIC is defined as “influenced” is because the bacteria don’t directly corrode the metal, but they accelerate the process by affecting the chemical reactions that cause corrosion. Biofilms – layers of bacteria in a matrix of slime – grow on metal surfaces changing the physical and chemical microenvironment. For example, anaerobic sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) convert sulfate into hydrogen sulfide – a strong acid. This effectively creates a mini battery, with the metal pipe providing the negative and positive poles (anode and cathode). The resulting localized chemical reactions dissolve the metal within a small area – increasing the chances of metal failure. Other types of bacteria have been implicated in MIC, such as acid producing bacteria (APB) and metal reducing or oxidizing bacteria (MRB and MOB); however, more research is needed. Aerobic environment Biofilm SRBs Anaerobic environment H2S Cathode (-) Cathode (-) Dissociation H2 Anode (+) Local deterioration Solution The first step in resolving MIC issues is to understand the bacteria population in the fluid. OSP offers several LifeCheck™ Test Kits to quickly and easily evaluate overall number, species present and location of biofilms – all of which guide the treatment selection. Once the bacteria population is assessed, the way to prevent MIC is through the use of biocides. OSP’s flagship 2K7® Biocide is particularly suited to treating fluids used in oil and gas operations because it doesn’t react with other chemical additives. It is also available in a variety of formulations including Water Soluble Paks (WSP), Solutions, and solid Bugsticks to target specific applications. 2K7 Energy Industry Applications Drilling fluids Heaters/treaters Coiled tubing fluid Battery equipment Fracturing fluid Pipelines and gathering systems Wellbore fluid (downhole tubulars/casing) Wellheads Produced fluid Well squeeze fluid Well injection fluid (secondary flooding) OSP’s high-level technical expertise enables us to provide our customers unparalleled access to application experience, support and product recommendations. For more information, please visit ospmicrocheck.com or contact us at [email protected]
