eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2016-05-05 7 1 231 238 9266 article J. Myla 1 R. chandrasekaran 2 R. Saravana muthu 3 Department of Microbiology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai - 609 305 (India). Department of Botany and Microbiology, A.V.V.M. Sripushpam College, Poondi, Thanjavur - 613 503 (India). Department of Botany, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai - 609 305 (India). Petroleum hydrocarbons are typically a complex mixture of aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds. Soil contaminated with petroleum derivatives are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. The soil contaminated with PAHs are remediated using a diverse set of physical and chemical methods. Inaddition to physical and chemical methods , biodegradation has become more accepted over the last two decades. The contaminated soil samples were collected and analyzed for various physico - chemical parameters. The hydrocarbon degrading Actinomycetes were isolated and identified from the isolated from contaminated soil. The selected organisms were tested for biosurfactant production and biosurfactant analysis. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol7no1/studies-on-diversity-of-actinomycetes-in-oil-contaminated-soil/ Hydrocarbons; Biodegradation; Biosurfactant.