Abstract <p>The actinomycete community of lake sapropel by Kamsky Sapropel Company (Naberezhnye Chelny, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation) was found to contain high numbers of cultured bacteria of the genus <i>Streptomyces</i> (7.84 ± 0.9) × 10⁷ CFU/g. Fourteen strains of streptomycetes isolated into pure culture were shown to grow in a wide range of temperatures and sodium chloride concentrations, possess hydrolytic, antibiotic, and urease activity, be capable of biofilm growth, and change the rheological characteristics of the culture fluid when grown on crude oil (with Δσ of interfacial tension up to 23 mN/m). Streptomycetes were capable of degrading <i>n</i>-alkanes of crude oil with chain lengths of C₁₁–C₃₀, and addition of starch to the medium stimulated this process. Therefore, these streptomycete strains are promising agents for use in biotechnologies for enhancing oil recovery from reservoirs, as well as for development of biopreparations for remediation of soils contaminated with oil and oil products.</p>