Film forming corrosion inhibitors are often selected to control CO2 corrosion and their
effectiveness versus microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is desirable in systems that suffer
from both forms of corrosion. Traditional corrosion inhibitor tests (e.g., bubble tests) have unfavorable
conditions for microbial activity and are inadequate for evaluating MIC control. Biocide screening test
methods have been used to evaluate microbial kill with toxic chemicals added batch wise, providing
very little direct information about controlling corrosion. Once-through flow cells containing corrosion
coupons were inoculated with a field consortium enriched in synthetic produced water to simulate MIC
field activity. Maximum pitting rate on the coupons was the key performance indicator for screening
inhibitors. Results indicated that many of the corrosion inhibitors tested increased the maximum MIC
pitting rates when compared to untreated controls. In at least one case, a less toxic inhibitor provided
better MIC control than a more toxic inhibitor. Data suggest that the field microbial consortia used in the
testing developed a resistance to an incumbent inhibitor that has been used for many years. The
results indicate that inhibitor selection based on MIC control is not simply a function of their ability to
control bacterial growth and activity.
Key Words: Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion, corrosion inhibitors, produced water, sulfate
reducing bacteria