Abstract
Corrosion of buried pipelines is a matter of concern to the oil and gas industry since the time when carbon steel began to be widely used in these pipelines for the transportation of fluids. The microbial communities associated with biofilms promote modification in the surrounding environment and may accentuate the degradation of oil and gas pipelines causing leaks or even accidents. This work aimed to evaluate corrosion and biofilm formation in carbon steel API 5LX60 coupons buried in clayey soil from an industrial region in north-eastern Brazil. The average corrosion rates were determined by gravimetric test and the quantification of bacteria and fungi were using the Most Probable Number (MPN) and Colony Forming Units (CFU) techniques respectively. The results showed a great influence of clayey soil on corrosion rates and time of adherence for microorganisms on metal surfaces.
Highlights
Most oil, gas and sanitation companies use thousands of kilometres of steel pipes to transport crude oil, natural gas, fuel, chemicals, fresh water and seawater 1
Sulphur content is important because if sulphate-reducing bacteria are present in the soil, their metabolism is stimulated since the microbial species in this group are able to assimilate a wide variety of carbon sources
The microbial groups existing in the soil and on metallic surfaces were quantified by biofilm formation
Summary
Gas and sanitation companies use thousands of kilometres of steel pipes to transport crude oil, natural gas, fuel, chemicals, fresh water and seawater 1. Microorganisms are in the sessile state (solid surface cells), resulting in the formation of ecosystems with different complexities, composing dynamic structures called biofilms[2,3]. Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of soils, it is fundamental to study their physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics, as well as the influence of these characteristics on the material used in pipe manufacture[1,2,4]. Biofilms are highly complex heterogeneous ecosystems composed of microbial cells inserted in an extra cellular polymer matrix (EPS) of microbial origin[2]. Carbon steel has certain limitations in its use, especially when resistance to corrosion, heat and wear, as well as particular electrical or magnetic characteristics and exposure to the microbial environment are required[8]
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