Using the micro-computed tomography images to evaluate the corrosion process in the natural seawater and oil and gas production facilities

This study was investigated the mechanism of microbiologically influenced corrosion which induced by thermophilic oilfield microbial consortium on the corrosion of carbon steel and the characterization of corrosion products and deposits formed on the surface to evaluate the corrosion process, by implementing surface analytical techniques (such as such scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis) as well as micro computed tomography to study three-dimensional structure of corrosion products and deposits formed, as a modern microbiology tool to characterise the biofilms and the corrosion products by 3D images. The immersion tests were conducted in two cells separately (biotic and abiotic cell). The duration of the experiment was short and long period, at high temperature and under anaerobic environmential. The test solution used as an electrolyte was a seawater. Microbial communities in the biotic reactor were mainly constituted by four genus, Methanothermobacter sp., Thermoanaerobacter sp., Thermovirga sp., and an unclassified uncultured Limnochordales bacteria. Corrosion rate in biotic samples is higher than that in abiotic sample. Thus the microbial consortium in biotic cell play a key role in corrosion process. In addition, the images was used to obtain important parameters such as porosity, distribution of the material of corrosion products and morphologies, surface areas, weight percent and the spatial distribution of corrosion products on carbon steel in the presence and absence of bacteria. Avizo software was applied to study the corrosion process. Avizo programme which was provided by PAWSEY Supercomputing centre. This project will investigate for three different corrosion process conditions (each one can be published): • Biocorrosion in presence of bacteria under anaerobic condition. • Biocorrosion in presence of bacteria under anaerobic condition for long term. • Biocorrosion in presence of bacteria under anaerobic and aerobic condition. Note: Please this work is part of my PhD study, so I prefer to keep this information confidential within the scope of the centre, because it has not been published yet, after the completion of publishing, I will inform you for that. Then it can be announced by the website of the PAWSEY Supercomputing centre to researchers interested in this field
Person

Principal investigator

Mohammed Albahri al-bahri@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
Magnifying glass

Area of science

Biocorrison, Chemical Engineering, Chemical Sciences, Engineering, microbiologically
CPU

Systems used

Visualisation
Computer

Applications used

Avizo Software
Partner Institution: Curtin University| Project Code: DR-CHENGR 091299

The Challenge

The outcomes of this research project was led to understand the mechanism of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) processes and the characterisation of corrosion products formed for three different corrosion process conditions, then a better understanding of the risk of MIC and ultimately guide the oil and gas industry towards improved methods for microbial corrosion control, reducing the risk to production equipment and more importantly, to people and the environment.

The Solution

My PhD study depends on the analysing the 3D images which were obtained by X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) for corrosion products by using Avizo software (which was provided by PAWSEY Supercomputing centre) to evaluate the corrosion process and to measure important parameters such as porosity, distribution of the material of corrosion products and morphologies, equivalent diameters of pores, specific surface areas, weight percent and the spatial distribution of corrosion products on carbon steel in the presence and absence of bacteria.

 

The Outcome

By applying Avizo software which was provided by PAWSEY Supercomputing centre to succeed for this study.

Images processing for the X-ray micro-computed tomography images will be done by using Aviso program, including these main steps:

1. Cropping the images
2. Filtration Process
3. Segmentation Process
4. Identify the materials
5. determine the porosity and materials volume fraction
6. Study the structural in 3D volume rendering
7. Distribution of the materials in the samples

 

List of Applications

  • First paper: “X‐ray micro‐computed tomography analysis of accumulated corrosion products in deep‐water shipwrecks”, Published in Materials and Corrosion, 2019
    https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.201910842– Second Paper: Under preparing and reviewing.
    – Third Paper: Under preparing and reviewing.
    – Fourth Paper: Under preparing and reviewing.

 

3D segmented µCT images of the biotic sample.

 

Rendered volume of coupons exposed to biotic conditions
2D filtered and segmented µCT image slices of biotic sample. Layer 1, Position 0mm, Thickness 0.0034 mm