When oxygen is not available, certain bacteria can use sulphate as “alternative breathing”, converting it to sulphide (usually hydrogen sulphide). We call this sulfate reduction. There are two routes for sulphate reduction, involving bacteria. The best known is the reduction route in which bacteria use chemical compounds from organic material and produce H₂S. In the second route, the bacteria extract electrons from the metal surface. The bacteria dissolve iron and produce sulphide. This leads to pit corrosion, which is very characteristic for MIC corrosion. A well-designed cathodic protection system, is an effective way to prevent the growth of these bacteria on the metal surface, but cannot prevent the formation of H₂S.

H₂S formation, recognizable by the smell of rotten eggs, is highly undesirable because it is corrosive and can affect the metal pipeline. But that is not the only problem: it is also toxic and explosive. That is why we have investigated various ways to prevent the production of hydrogen sulphide.

What makes this project special is that we are already involved in the design phase. Due to our close collaboration with our client in this phase we can prevent problems and damage by MIC corrosion in the future as much as possible. This not only saves money, but also contributes to the safety and sustainability of the pipeline.