Microorganisms specifi cally groups of bacteria exhibiting physiological activities of production of acids are a major cause of concern because of their ability to induce corrosion in oil fi eld pipelines and metal systems involved in water handling. Water Injection Stations as a means of secondary recovery from existing oil producing reservoirs, are often employed in most upstream oil and gas industries to ensure replenishment of voidage, maintenance of reservoir pressure and optimization of crude emulsion throughput. In the present study, scanning electron microscopy of macroscopic orange coloured slime formations sampled from leaking valves on the fl ow-lines of a Water Injection Stations of Oil India Limited revealed the presence of fi lamentous bacterial mats in association with diatoms. The species composition of the acidic slime formations from the sampled locations reveal the possible role of acid producing iron oxidizing bacteria (IOB) like Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in association with Gomphonema sp. in creating conditions for bio-corrosion.
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