Microbiological contaminations of underground gas storage facilities and natural gas pipelines

The growing demand for natural gas is primarily due to an increase in the share of gas in electricity production. Replacing coal with natural gas results in a significant decrease in emissions of greenhouse gases and dusts. The presence of microorganisms may be the cause of underground gas storage (UGS) facilities and pipelines deterioration. Microorganisms and their metabolic products contribute to the formation of sudden and unexpected failure causing loss of energy security by: decline in the quality of stored gas or disruption of its transmission. The paper presents a variety of microbiomes of the underground storage facilities and pipelines, showing that not only the sulfate-reducing bacteria are able to grow and develop in these extreme environments. Microorganisms producing CH 4 may change the composition of the gas, and the produced H 2 S and CO 2 are not only gas pollutants, but also generate corrosion of transmission networks. At the same time, the presence of bacteria and archaea in pipelines hinders the correct operation of the network, through the accumulation of biofilm and reduction in the pipe diameter. 1. Introduction. 2. Microorganisms in underground gas storage facilities. 3. Microorganisms in natural gas pipelines. 4. Summary