This microbial method measures the abundance of hydrocarbon-oxidizing microbes in soils and marine sediments. The microbes thrive in seepage environments and utilize hydrocarbon gases as their principal “food” source; they convert hydrocarbon gases to alcohols, organic acids, and ultimately to carbon dioxide.

The microbial method is a reliable indicator of microseepage over a wide range of environments and geologic settings, and records seepage over a time frame of weeks to months. This microbial method was developed more than 30 years ago by Phillips Petroleum and for the past 25 years has been available to industry from E&PFS.

The “MT” tool is a unique indirect technique capable of quantifying active hydrocarbon microseepage by detecting the presence of butane (C4) oxidizing microbes in shallow soil samples; there is a direct positive relationship between the light hydrocarbon concentration in soils and these microbial populations a relationship that is easily measurable yielding results of high reproducibility.