Carbon Dioxide Corrosion and Acetate: A Hypothesis on the influence of Microorganisms

It is our hypothesis that fermentative, acetogenic, and sulfate-reducing bacteria residing in pipeline facilities can influence corrosion through the production of carbon dioxide and acetate under the prevailing anaerobic conditions. The exacerbation of carbon dioxide corrosion of carbon steel in the presence of acetic acid is a well-known phenomenon in the oil industry. Both chemical compounds can be produced and consumed by microorganisms during the anaerobic biodegradation of organic matter including hydrocarbons. We contend that the principles governing anaerobic biodegradation activity can be extrapolated to aboveground oil production facilities and that the microbial diversity inherent in petroleum reservoirs largely reflects that in pipelines.