A computer supported method, computer system and computer program product for exploring and producing a subsurface heterogeneous hydrocarbon source and generating a predictive production map of an area under investigation, based on microbial prospecting. Microbial data representative of microbial activity attributable to hydrocarbon microseepage and hydrocarbon productivity data of a plurality of geographic locations are retrieved and correlated by the computer in a data correlation algorithm, providing a threshold hydrocarbon productivity quantity and a truncated set of the retrieved microbial data. The set identifies individual types of the microorganisms and corresponding individual weighting factors computed by the data correlation algorithm, for distinguishing prospective hydrocarbon productivity quantities from non-prospective hydrocarbon productivity quantities. An estimated subsurface hydrocarbon productivity quantity for a geographical location of the area under investigation is provided by count weighting retrieved microbial data of this location for microorganisms identified in the truncated set, applying the individual weighting factors.

A method of identifying in situ conditions of a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid signatures that are indicative of microbes associated with hypersaline aquifers; and using the signature to determine the salinity of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

A method of identifying in situ conditions of a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid signatures that are indicative of microbes associated with hypersaline aquifers; and using the signature to determine the salinity of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

A method including: obtaining a field sample; extracting DNA from the field sample and identifying a marker gene; amplifying and sequencing the marker gene; identifying a genetic makeup of the marker gene; identifying a potential compound associated with the genetic makeup; and identifying a gene associated with the potential compound and associating that gene with a metabolite.

A method including: obtaining a field sample; extracting DNA from the field sample and identifying a marker gene; amplifying and sequencing the marker gene; identifying a genetic makeup of the marker gene; identifying a potential compound associated with the genetic makeup; and identifying a gene associated with the potential compound and associating that gene with a metabolite.

An abundance of specific species of phytoplankton in a phytoplankton group in which a plurality of kinds coexists is calculated in a simple manner. Based on a reference sample intensity ratio r.sub.0, a reference sample total fluorescence intensity I.sub.0, and an existing quantity K.sub.0 of specific species of phytoplankton, an intensity ratio r.sub.d of other species of plankton is calculated. An analysis sample that is expected to have similarity with the reference sample is irradiated with the excitation light, an intensity of fluorescence emitted from the analysis sample is measured in each of wavelength bands A and B, and an intensity ratio r is calculated. A total fluorescence intensity I is measured, and an existing quantity K of the specific species of the phytoplankton is calculated based on the intensity ratio r.sub.d of other species of plankton, the intensity ratio r, and the total fluorescence intensity I.

A method for identifying in situ presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir or of a pipeline leakage is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep or near an offshore pipeline; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid, protein or metabolite signatures that are indicative of cold-shock response; identifying the relative abundance of the cold-shock signatures present in the sample in comparison to the surrounding environment.

A method for identifying in situ presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir or of a pipeline leakage is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep or near an offshore pipeline; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid, protein or metabolite signatures that are indicative of cold-shock response; identifying the relative abundance of the cold-shock signatures present in the sample in comparison to the surrounding environment.

An oil and gas exploration method based on a microbial gene is provided, where samples are collected from shallow surface layers above a known oil well, a gas well, and a dry well in an exploration area, DNA is extracted and subjected to high-throughput sequencing (HTS), and a pattern map of a microbial community composition in the exploration area is established according to sequencing results; and characteristic microorganisms in surface soil above an oil/gas well in the exploration area are screened out according to the pattern map, then primers are designed according to attribute characters of the characteristic microorganisms, and samples throughout the exploration area are subjected to fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect a number of the characteristic microorganisms.

An oil and gas exploration method based on a microbial gene is provided, where samples are collected from shallow surface layers above a known oil well, a gas well, and a dry well in an exploration area, DNA is extracted and subjected to high-throughput sequencing (HTS), and a pattern map of a microbial community composition in the exploration area is established according to sequencing results; and characteristic microorganisms in surface soil above an oil/gas well in the exploration area are screened out according to the pattern map, then primers are designed according to attribute characters of the characteristic microorganisms, and samples throughout the exploration area are subjected to fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect a number of the characteristic microorganisms.