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Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Corrosion of Pipeline Steel in Polyacrylamide Gel Used for Enhanced Oil Recovery

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Abstract

Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), a viscosity booster in the enhanced oil recovery process, has been found to be prone to microbial degradation. The effect of HPAM degradation on the electrochemical properties and corrosion behavior of C20 steel was examined in oilfield injection water containing sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses showed that HPAM promoted SRB growth, which resulted in the precipitation of higher amount of ferrous sulfide in the test medium. Electrochemical investigations revealed that the HPAM biodegradation enhanced the corrosion rate and localized perforation of steel. These were possible because the HPAM degradation furnished the test medium with nutrients like acetate and ammonium ions, which sustained microbial activities, thus boosting the anodic dissolution of steel.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52071320). The authors are grateful to Dr. Shi Wei and Dr. Paul Uzoma for their reviews and technical contributions, which was helpful in improving this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Victor Malachy Udowo, Maocheng Yan & Fuchun Liu

  2. University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China

    Victor Malachy Udowo

  3. Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Oilfield Applied Chemistry and Technology, Daqing Normal University, Daqing, 163712, China

    Qinghe Gao

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  1. Victor Malachy Udowo
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Correspondence to Maocheng Yan.

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Udowo, V.M., Gao, Q., Yan, M. et al. Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Corrosion of Pipeline Steel in Polyacrylamide Gel Used for Enhanced Oil Recovery. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 33, 1114–1129 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08058-2

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