International audienceH 2 S corrosion of mild steel is a recurrent issue in the oil and gas industry. Many studies related to the corrosion and hydrogen permeation of steel in an H 2 S containing environment have been made during the past decades with the intent of improving the knowledge and the prevention of economic loss. Since H 2 S is also a hydrogen entry promoter, lots of studies are also dedicated to the understanding of H 2 S cracking. Although it is generally accepted to avoid oxygen contamination in such a medium, there is a lack of research concerning its effect on the corrosion and hydrogen charging of steel. In this study, the effect of oxygen on corrosion and hydrogen charging of steels in an H 2 S containing environment is studied using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). An equivalent electrical circuit has been built according to SEM observations, literature research and experimental results. Using this equivalent electrical circuit, experimental data was analyzed and the average corrosion rates were deduced and found to be in good agreement with corrosion rates obtained by weight loss measurements. Furthermore, the evolution of fitting parameters (double layer capacity, charge transfer resistance, diffusion impedance, etc.) was found to be in good agreement with the real physical meaning of such parameters in the given conditions. This research contributes to the explanation of the mechanism behind the high corrosion rate observed in an H 2 S environment polluted with traces of oxygen
