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A Case Study On Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion In Oil Producing Well Flowlines

Oil field operating company’s (1) flowline network in North and West Kuwait (NWK) has over 3000 wells connected through 6” carbon steel pipelines flowing from wellhead to the nearest Gathering Center (GC). Untreated wet crude is transported through the flowlines to GC’s directly or passing through the Remote Headers and Manifold (RHM) to GCs. In RHM, mixing of the wet crude takes place before it is sent to GC’s via transfer lines for further separation.  The flowlines are laid aboveground except at road crossings where they are buried. 

Product Number: 51322-17924-SG
Author: Amer Jarragh, Sandip Kuthe, Sharad Londhe, Akhil Jaithlya, Abeer Rashed, Nadine El-Kaouri
Publication Date: 2022
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In the oil and gas industry, producing flowlines are subject to various corrosion issues due to the presence of various corrosive elements present in the produced fluids. Dissolved CO2 is an important corrosive element as it causes severe localized corrosion of carbon steel lines. In addition, Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC), which is the impact of microbial presence on internal corrosion can also affect integrity of carbon steel material. In oil and gas industry bacteria can be introduced into surface production facilities during the crude washing process as part of the desalting process. Similarly, secondary recovery by water injection can contaminate the produced fluids typically with Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB). The sudden change in H2S levels in the produced fluids can be one of the indications of such SRB contamination. Under low flow conditions, bacteria can rapidly proliferate and cause MIC on the carbon steel flowlines/pipelines. The localized corrosion by CO2 may get aggravated by MIC due to presence of bacteria. Such observations of flowlines will be discussed here. 

In the oil and gas industry, producing flowlines are subject to various corrosion issues due to the presence of various corrosive elements present in the produced fluids. Dissolved CO2 is an important corrosive element as it causes severe localized corrosion of carbon steel lines. In addition, Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC), which is the impact of microbial presence on internal corrosion can also affect integrity of carbon steel material. In oil and gas industry bacteria can be introduced into surface production facilities during the crude washing process as part of the desalting process. Similarly, secondary recovery by water injection can contaminate the produced fluids typically with Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB). The sudden change in H2S levels in the produced fluids can be one of the indications of such SRB contamination. Under low flow conditions, bacteria can rapidly proliferate and cause MIC on the carbon steel flowlines/pipelines. The localized corrosion by CO2 may get aggravated by MIC due to presence of bacteria. Such observations of flowlines will be discussed here. 

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