Corrosion under insulation is a major economic concern in the safe operations of water, oil and gas steel pipes. Herein, the external corrosion of X80 pipeline steel was examined beneath a disbonded insulation in groundwater containing sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The results show that the steel under the insulation exhibited different electrochemical behaviour from the uninsulated sample in the bulk solution. A galvanic effect was detected between the steel under insulation and the uninsulated sample. Spectroscopic analysis reveals the rust layer of the insulated steel immersed in the SRB-inoculated groundwater was enriched by FeS from microbial metabolism. The steel under insulation recorded severe localised perforation, while corrosion severity was reduced on the uninsulated sample. Diffusion of ions, film development and insulation degradation played important roles in steel corrosion.
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