Corrosion Evaluation Caused by Activity of Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) During Shutdown Period in Waha Oil Field

الملخص

Pipelines are among the main facilities for the transportation of crude oil from production wells to main terminals. Internal corrosion of these pipes may lead to oil spills to surroundings and cause environmental problems as well as loss of production. Among the different types of corrosion responsible of such problems, biological corrosion initiated by bacterial activities maybe the main source for pipelines damage especially during periods of downtimes. In this study, biological corrosion was investigated within the main Al-Waha pipelines for crude oil transportation. This study was conducted on Al Waha oilfield of Al Waha Oil Company during the long downtime due to the instability of the country and deterioration of the security situation. Field samples were taken during the downtime of Waha oil field. It was found that corrosion occurred in these pipelines as a result of bacterial activity, which is related to a specific type of bacteria called Sulphate Reducing Bacteria (SRB). If this type of bacteria is not properly treated, the activity of this type of bacteria will spread-out in all production facilities, and results in large corrosion problems and leakage, and increase maintenance costs. This paper highlighted different types of treatment processes, such as mechanical and chemical treatment processes. It was concluded that despite of affectivity of mechanical treatment process, chemical treatments maybe more effective especially for prolonged periods of downtimes. Examinations of chemical treatments using biocides found to be very effective, it can be used to control the corrosion rate and keep pipelines in good condition for as long as possible.