Abstract
In this work we attempt to identify the geomicrobial fingerprints alongside with trace metals anomalies, and to explore whether the geomicrobial signatures are correlated with trace metals in El Hajeb oilfield in Tunisia. 51 soil samples are collected in grid pattern of 1 × 1 km interval. After incubating soil samples with propane in mineral salt medium, we count the propane oxidizing bacteria abundance ranged from nil to 2.44 × 10
5
cfu/g of soil sample. It was found that the concentrations of trace elements are enormously increased when they are compared with the natural background concentrations of metals in soils.