Inhibition of bacterial growth in pipelines

• US 10,344,905 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Total E&P Danmark A/S
• Original Assignee: Total E&P Danmark A/S
• Inventors: Mogensen, Kristian, Ljungstrom, Trine, Larsen, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Palenik, Jeffrey T.
• Application Number:
  US14/917,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20160215920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, characterised by their forms, or by their non-active ingredients or by their methods of application , e.g. seed treatment or sequential application; Substances for reducing the noxious effect of the active ingredients to organisms other than pests
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/00 Methods preventing fouling preventing accumulation of deposits in pneumatic conveyors B65G53/521
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/027 Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/055 the cleaning devices conforming to, or being conformable to, substantially the same cross-section of the pipes, e.g. pigs or moles pigs or moles per se F16L55/26; their launching and detection F16L55/46; separating pigs in pipelines F17D3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0555 Gelled or degradable pigs
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/50 by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/365 from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries)
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/08 Corrosion inhibition
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/345 for biological oxidation or reduction of sulfur compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/32 Anticorrosion additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/54 Compositions for in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 58/00 Protection of pipes or pipe fittings against corrosion or incrustation compound tubes F16L9/14

Abstract

Use fresh water or water with sufficiently reduced salinity to trigger burst of bacterial cell wall due to osmotic pressure gradient. Combine the freshwater with conventional biocide treatment and pigging to increase the likelihood of killing the bacteria responsible for reservoir souring.

Claims

1. A method for remediation of microbially induced corrosion in a section of a pipeline used to transport water with a total dissolved salt concentration of at least 0.25 M expressed as sodium chloride dissolved, the pipeline having a volume, where halophilic or halotolerant bacteria that induce corrosion grow on the inside surface of the pipeline and that have an intracellular tonicity, the method comprising:

a) performing a pig run in the section of the pipeline;

b) subjecting the inside of the section of the pipeline to hypotonic water compared to the intracellular tonicity of the bacteria growing on the inside surface of the pipeline, the hypotonic water being sufficiently hypotonic to cause osmotic lysis in the bacteria, the hypotonic water having a total dissolved salt concentration of 5 mM or less expressed as sodium chloride dissolved, wherein the inside of the section of the pipeline is subjected to one or more pulses of hypotonic water which are enclosed by a plug on the leading end and the trailing end of the pulse of hypotonic water, and wherein the plug is liquid having a viscosity between 2-10 cP.

2. The method according to claim 1, where the bacteria are sulfate-reducing bacteria.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the section of the tube is in contact with hypotonic water for at least 30 seconds, at least 1 minute, at least 60 minutes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more pulses of hypotonic water each have a volume of 20% or less of the volume of the section of the pipeline.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the section of the pipeline is at least 15 m³.

6. The method according to anyone of claim 1, wherein one or more additives are added to the hypotonic water, the one or more additives selected from the list consisting of:

chemical biocides and/or bacteriophages.