Torben Lund Skovhus
Docent & Project Manager – VIA University College
Principal Owner, Skovhus BioConsult (SBC)
Horsens, Denmark
Presentation Topic: A Process for Using Multiple Lines of Evidence for More Reliable Corrosion Failure Analysis
Presentation Date: January 22, 2026
Co-Presenter: Rick Eckert, Microbial Corrosion Consulting
Meet Your Speaker:
Dr. Torben Lund Skovhus is Principal Owner of Skovhus BioConsult (SBC) and is also Docent & Project Manager at VIA University College in the Research Center for Built Environment, Energy, Water and Climate, Denmark. Dr Skovhus is an AMPP Fellow and chair of the ISMOS TSC, an organization he founded in 2006. He is the author of 150+ technical and scientific papers and book chapters related to industrial microbiology, applied biotechnology, corrosion management, oilfield microbiology, water treatment and safety, reservoir souring and biocorrosion. He is co-editor of “Failure Analysis of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion” from 2021 (CRC Press).
Presentation Abstract:
There is an imperative need for a systematic and comprehensive process to analyze and integrate multiple lines of evidence (MLOE) for determining the causes of corrosion damage, particularly in the case of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC). The correct diagnosis of corrosion/MIC causes is essential, not only for identifying effective mitigation and prevention, but also as a pivotal step towards advancing materials sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. A structured methodology for corrosion failure analysis guided by the latest research findings, consensus standards, guidelines, models, and advanced analytical techniques will be presented in this talk. The primary categories of evidence employed in diagnosing corrosion include, 1) operation and design, 2) the chemical environment, 3) the microbiological environment, and 4) materials and corrosion products. Advances in molecular microbiological methods (MMM) have also improved the availability of diagnostic data. The relationships between data in these categories and their interconnectedness for characterizing corrosion mechanisms is also discussed. The outcome of this process yields a list of objective, science-based observations supporting specific abiotic and/or biotic corrosion mechanisms.
The talk with cover abiotic corrosion and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) assessments. Accurate corrosion failure analysis is essential for identifying effective mitigation and prevention measures and preventing future failures, reducing operating risks and costs.
Who Should Attend: Oil and Gas companies, pipelines, regulators, corrosion control professionals, corrosion threat and risk assessment, those involved with failure investigations or root cause analysis of corrosion related problems