Localized corrosion of carbon steel in a CO2-saturated oilfield formation water

In this work, corrosion and localized corrosion behavior of X65 pipeline steel were studied in a simulated, CO2-saturated oilfield formation water by various electrochemical measurement techniques, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization curves, galvanic current and localized EIS (LEIS). The morphology and composition of the formed corrosion scale were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. A conceptual model was developed to illustrate the occurrence of localized corrosion of the steel under scale. Both galvanic current and LEIS measurements showed that a galvanic effect existed between the bare steel and the scale-covered region. The scale-covered region served as cathode and the bare steel site as the anode. The big cathode vs. small anode geometry accelerated the local corrosion reaction. At an elevated temperature, a compact, crystalline scale was formed on the steel surface, enhancing the galvanic effect. Moreover, the stability of the scale was increased with time, and localized corrosion of the steel under scale experienced mechanistic changes with time.