Mitigation of Pipeline Bio-Corrosion Using a Mixture of D-Amino Acids with a Biocide

Under Development

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Damage Prevention and Mitigation -- Excavation Damage Prevention

This project developed a new biocide enhancer technology to mitigate biofilms in the prevention of Microbiologically- Influenced Corrosion (MIC). Sessile cells in biofilms require considerably higher biocide concentrations than planktonic cells to treat. D-amino acids have been found to be biocide enhancers in biofilm mitigation, and were evaluated in this project. Field biofilms were used to validate the new environmentally friendly biocide enhancer technology. In the next phase of this project, field trials will be conducted to validate the technology.

Pipeline corrosion is a serious threat to pipeline integrity and safety. MIC corrosion amounts to 20% of all corrosion losses. The 2006 BP Alaskan oil spill originated from a 0.25” pinhole that was likely caused by MIC. The leak led to a major spike in world oil prices, disrupted production at Prudhoe Bay for several months, and resulted in financial losses and government fines totaling many millions of dollars.

Increased Safety - Mitigating corrosion reduces threat risk to pipeline integrity and safety.

Environmental Benefits - The new biocide enhancer technology is environmentally friendly.

PHMSA, https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/PrjHome.rdm?prj=512