Microorganisms, including those that influence corrosion, are present almost
everywhere in soil, freshwater, well-water, and seawater. The mere detection of microrganisms
in an environment does not necessarily indicates a corrosion problem. What is important
however, is the unique combination of microorganisms present, along with favourable
conditions enhancing their growth in the sessile state, since microbiologically influenced
corrosion (MIC) occurs directly on metal surfaces. This paper focuses on microbial growth
requirements, and provides guidelines for evaluating the potential occurrence of MIC, based
on operating pipeline parameters, and water chemistry influencing microbial growth.