Study on the evolution process of corrosion behavior under the sulfate reducing bacteria biofilm in shale gas gathering pipelines

Abstract

Pipeline corrosion induced by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is particularly severe during the hydraulic fracturing technology in shale gas exploitation. To investigate the evolution of corrosion beneath the SRB biofilms, 49-day corrosion experiments were performed with and without SRB. The weight loss experiment demonstrated that the corrosion in the Blank group was mitigated by the corrosion product film. In contrast, the SRB group exhibited an initial inhibitory phase followed by an exacerbation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed stratification in the Blank group, whereas SRB initially formed colonies and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), eventually the biofilm evolved into a mixed layer with the corrosion product. 3D microscopy showed a relatively flat surface in the Blank group. Conversely, corrosion pits beneath SRB biofilm were circular and could reach a depth of 29.77 μm, significantly greater than in the Blank group. Over time, SRB-induced pits deepened from the edges to the center and widened to approximately 740 μm, accompanied by an increase in quantity. Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses detected the presence of elements P, S, and FeS in the SRB group, serving as important indicators of SRB corrosion. Electrochemical experiments revealed significantly higher corrosion currents in the SRB group. The evolution of SRB corrosion consisted of three phases: initial, intermediate, and starvation phases. During the starvation phase, localized corrosion proved to be the most severe, with a corrosion rate of 1.28 mm/a. Therefore, the study of SRB-induced corrosion should be prioritized to study the localization phenomena.