A combination of qPCR, RT-qPCR and NGS provides a new tool for analyzing MIC risk in pipelines

TY - GEN

T1 - A combination of qPCR, RT-qPCR and NGS provides a new tool for analyzing MIC risk in pipelines

AU - Thomsen, Uffe Sognstrup

AU - Kahns, Søren

AU - Oehler, Mike Christian

PY - 2018/4

Y1 - 2018/4

N2 - Sampling of pigging debris was performed from three multiphase pipelines that previously were exposed to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) due to high abundances of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) and methanogens. Sampling was also performed from a water injection pipeline to investigate differences in the microbial community. Quantification of microorganisms using qPCR analysis revealed that numbers of SRP and methanogens were in the range of 10 3 to 10 5 cells/g in the multiphase pipelines and 10 3 to 10 5 cells/ml in the water injection pipeline. The metabolic activity determined by RT-qPCR was relative low. NGS sequencing analysis detected Methanothermococcus to be most active in multiphase pipelines and Desulfohalobiaceae in the water injection pipeline as potentially hydrogen-scavenging and MIC-causing microorganisms. Further, Methanocalculus and Desulfovibrio were found in significant proportions showing that methanogens were the major MIC-causing microorganisms in multiphase pipelines and sulfate-reducing bacteria in injection water pipelines. The MIC risk was determined to be low when quantified using the pre-established company model, due to low bacterial numbers present in the samples. By combining qPCR, RT-qPCR, and NGS we were able to provide a more accurate MIC analysis, though, the application of molecular microbiological methods needs further development to improve and validate sampling procedures, methodology, and data interpretation for determining MIC factors.

AB - Sampling of pigging debris was performed from three multiphase pipelines that previously were exposed to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) due to high abundances of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) and methanogens. Sampling was also performed from a water injection pipeline to investigate differences in the microbial community. Quantification of microorganisms using qPCR analysis revealed that numbers of SRP and methanogens were in the range of 10 3 to 10 5 cells/g in the multiphase pipelines and 10 3 to 10 5 cells/ml in the water injection pipeline. The metabolic activity determined by RT-qPCR was relative low. NGS sequencing analysis detected Methanothermococcus to be most active in multiphase pipelines and Desulfohalobiaceae in the water injection pipeline as potentially hydrogen-scavenging and MIC-causing microorganisms. Further, Methanocalculus and Desulfovibrio were found in significant proportions showing that methanogens were the major MIC-causing microorganisms in multiphase pipelines and sulfate-reducing bacteria in injection water pipelines. The MIC risk was determined to be low when quantified using the pre-established company model, due to low bacterial numbers present in the samples. By combining qPCR, RT-qPCR, and NGS we were able to provide a more accurate MIC analysis, though, the application of molecular microbiological methods needs further development to improve and validate sampling procedures, methodology, and data interpretation for determining MIC factors.

KW - Cell specific activity (CSA) index

KW - Danish sector of the North Sea

KW - MIC risk management

KW - Methanogens

KW - Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC)

KW - Mitigation

KW - Next generation sequencing (NGS)

KW - Pipelines

KW - QPCR

KW - Reverse Transcriptase qPCR (RT-qPCR)

KW - Sulfate-reducing Bacteria (SRB)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053538901&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article in proceedings

BT - Corrosion Conference and Expo 2018

PB - NACE International

T2 - CORROSION 2018

Y2 - 15 April 2018 through 19 April 2018

ER -