At the turn of the 20 th century Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) in the oil industry was recognized simply as a problem. By the end of the century MIC became a multidisciplinary field of science, incorporating microbiology, molecular biology, electrochemistry, metallurgy, biophysics and biochemistry. Advances in MIC testing
techniques utilizing sophisticated tools have contributed significantly to the understanding of the mechanisms involved and control of MIC in the industry. The progress in the assessment and control of MIC in the oil industry during the 20 th century is presented in this paper.