As a part of a study on the development of microbiological methods for petroleum exploration, the distribution of the avarafe survival rate for heterotrophs to various heavy metal ions and hydrocarbons were surveyed and compared by the use of plate count method. In consequence of the avarage survival rate to heavy metal ions(2 hours treatment) and hydrocarbons(1 hour treatment) for heterotrophs isolatinf from soil samples(50cm depth) which located in Doum mountain(A, B and D site) and Aedowon(C site) at Pohang area, the survival rate of heterotrophs for nickel(600ppm), cobalt(500ppm), cadmiun(100ppm), mercury(20ppm), zinc(400 ppm) and lead(500ppm) were 73.7%, 82.6%, 76.8%, 9.5%, 77.8% and 73.6% at A site and 67.9%, 82.5%, 86.0%, 5.8%, 82.5% and 91.7% at B site, 87.8%, 79.8%, 87.5%, 7.0%, 84.2% AND 47.7% AT c SITE, AND 71.8%, 76%, 85.9%, 1,2%, 79.6% AND 88.3% AT D site, respectively. Also the survival rate of heterotrophs from A,B,C and D site to pentane and hexane(each concentration is 20%) were 26.7% and 42.5%, 11.8% and 8.1%, 44.3% and 36.2%, and 12% and 3.5%, respectively. therefore, heterotrophs from B and D site that alternated gravelstone, muddy sandstone and sandstone were higher survival rate to the heavy metal ions than heterotrophs from A site which mainly composed gravelstone. Also, heterotrophs from C site which mainly composed muddy sandstone and once produced natural gas were showed relatively higher survival rate to the heavy metal ions and hydrocarbons than the other sites. Consequently, we confirmed that the distributions of tolerant heterotrophs to heavy metal ions and hydrocarbons were differ from the lithological compositon.