Development of Molecular Biomarkers for Monitoring and Mitigation of Microbial Corrosion

Description / Summary:

Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is a widespread and costly challenge across many industries. In most cases, MIC is driven by complex, multispecies biofilms with diverse metabolic activities. While some biofilms are non-corrosive, others can cause severe damage to steel and related infrastructure. Distinguishing corrosive from non-corrosive microorganisms remains difficult with current methods, and MIC diagnosis often requires multiple lines of evidence and extended laboratory testing. Using advanced molecular biology approaches, ExxonMobil’s MIC team has identified novel biomarkers indicative of MIC and developed qPCR assays targeting corrosive methanogenic archaea (micH) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (micC). Analysis of multiple biofilms from corrosion coupons demonstrated that these biomarkers correlate more strongly with MIC than commonly used methods such as ATP assays or 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Field testing across geographically diverse oilfield operations further demonstrated the global applicability of this biomarker-based approach for MIC detection and monitoring in both pipeline biofilms and planktonic samples.