Corrosion

Corrosion Is the Symptom.
The Real Issue May Be Deeper.

If corrosion is showing up in your system, it’s usually a multifaceted problem.

Corrosion is often a sign of deeper system conditions that are actively driving asset degradation. In some cases, that means microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). In others, water chemistry, deposits, scale, or fluid incompatibility may be the cause.

What matters most is identifying the main drivers and what options you have to address it.

OSP helps asset owners investigate microbially induced corrosion with a practical, data-driven approach that leads to clearer decisions and more effective treatment strategies.

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What Corrosion Can Lead To

Once corrosion begins to affect system integrity, the impact can spread into operations, maintenance, safety, and cost. Corrosion may contribute to:

Premature equipment degradation
Leaks in tanks, pipelines, and process equipment
Increased maintenance and repair frequency
Downtime and production disruption
Higher treatment and operating costs
Safety and environmental risk
Reduced confidence in asset integrity

By the time corrosion is visible, the conditions causing it have often been present for much longer.

Options for Understanding What’s Driving Microbially Induced Corrosion

You do not need to know which test or service you need before reaching out. We help clients investigate corrosion by matching the problem to the right diagnostic and treatment path.

DNA & Microbial Diagnostics Testing

When corrosion may be microbially driven, DNA testing provides deeper insight into the organisms and functional pathways involved.

This option helps identify whether corrosion risk is associated with microbial groups linked to MIC, souring, or biofilm development. It is especially useful when corrosion is persistent, treatment performance is inconsistent, or a more advanced root cause investigation is needed.

DNA diagnostics can help you:

Identify specific microbial populations contributing to corrosion
Understand functional microbial risk
Detect hidden microbial drivers before failures escalate
Support more targeted treatment decisions

Kill Studies (Biocide Selection Studies)

If microbial corrosion is suspected and treatment decisions need to be made, a kill study helps determine which biocide chemistry performs most effectively in your water chemistry and against the microbes present in your actual system.

Rather than relying on assumptions or legacy treatment programs, kill studies compare multiple candidate chemistries using your water sample and operating conditions.

This can help you:

Validate the most effective chemistry and concentration
Optimize treatment performance
Reduce chronic overdosing
Lower unnecessary chemical spend
Build a better corrosion control strategy

Culture Media Testing

Culture media testing is a way to detect and estimate bacterial groups commonly associated with corrosion, including SRB, APB, and IRB.

This option is useful when:

You need traditional bacterial monitoring data
You want to validate microbial activity
You are supporting an existing treatment program
You are investigating ongoing microbial corrosion concerns

You Know the Problem. We Help You Get the Treatment Right.

If corrosion is showing up in your system, the challenge isn’t just confirming it - it’s selecting the right approach to address it effectively. Utilizing a scientific, data driven approach, OSP helps you move beyond trial-and-error by identifying what’s driving the issue, guiding the right diagnostic path, and supporting a treatment strategy tailored to your system.

Why Clients Trust Us

Clients turn to OSP for more than just test results. We provide diagnostic support with clear, interpretive insights that go beyond raw data. Our reporting helps translate corrosion symptoms into actionable next steps, giving clients a clearer path from identifying the problem to implementing the right treatment strategy.

Have a water or microbial problem?

Our team can help you understand what’s happening, what’s causing it, and how to fix it — effectively and sustainably.