High precision molecular techniques identified a bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis and two yeasts Yarrowia phalangiensis to the specie levels; these were Microbiology) & isolated from the Nigerian local environment. The local microbial isolates were used to produce non-| toxic biosurfactants with POME as substrate. A model for the optimized production of the biosurfactants was also proposed. The biosurfactants proved useful as oil field chemicals in the areas of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) and bioremediation of crude oil impacted soil.