Surface Geochemistry and Microbiology methods are based on the fundamental premise that from all subsurface hydrocarbon accumulations lightest hydrocarbon fractions emanate to the surface through diffusion, effusion and floatability processes. These emanations, called oil and gas seeps, cause physical, chemical and biological alterations in the soil, sediments and plants, which can be detected through soil analyses using high sensitivity analytical equipment such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

The Surface Geochemistry method, due to its low cost and application facility, is being increasingly used in the exploration of onshore and offshore sedimentary basins.

Headspace and adsorbed gas geochemical and microbial exploration techniques are based on identifiable surface or near surface occurrences of hydrocarbons and their alteration products. The detectable amounts, sometimes in parts per million/billion, can be integrated with geological, geophysical and remote sensing data to characterize Petroleum Systems and to locate undiscovered oil and gas accumulations.

IPEX is a World leader in this field, having performed more than 50 projects in most Onshore Basins of South America and West Africa.