Corrosion, including microbially influenced corrosion (MIC), negatively impacts the integrity, safety, and reliability of natural gas pipeline or metal operations throughout the world. Cost-effective MIC management requires the early detection of MIC problems, which can only be achieved by routine monitoring of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of pipeline systems.

GTI offers a new corrosion testing service that directly detects and quantifies (without prior growth) corrosion-causing microorganisms typically found in pipes and other equipment used by the natural gas, petroleum, chemical, water, and wastewater industries. GTI's genetic tests target the functional genes essential for the metabolism of corrosion-causing bacteria in the samples. The method is far more accurate than traditional growth tests, with an accuracy of ± 10%, and can analyze almost any type of samples (liquid, biofilms, or solid samples), including dried solid samples, which only contain dead bacteria. The turn-around time for GTI's genetic test is a five-business-day maximum, compared to several weeks often required by traditional tests.

GTI's genetic tests currently quantify total bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), denitrifying bacteria, and methanogens. The total bacteria indicate the overall environmental conditions for bacteria growth in the system. SRB are widely considered the most aggressive corrosion-causing bacteria in pipeline systems. Denitrifying bacteria and methanogens are frequently retrieved from pipeline samples, and also cause corrosion. In particular, the dentrifying bacteria need to be closely monitored due to the increasing use of nitrate in some industries as a means to reduce the activity of SRB.

In addition to microbial testing, GTI also offers metallurgical testing, chemical testing, and soil classification for internal and external corrosion.

The scanning electron micrograph image shows a metal surface from which the sulfate-reducing biofilm was scraped away, as well as a portion of the metal surface still encrusted by biofilm and corrosion products. Pitting due to microbial corrosion is evident in the exposed metal.