Patent ID: 7963329

Claim:
A method of recovering petroleum oil from a subterranean, petroleum-containing, porous formation, penetrated by at least one injection well and by at least one production well, said petroleum-containing formation having been previously subjected to at least primary recovery operations, comprising: a. injecting into said injection well an aqueous solution containing a polymer component and a surfactant component resulting in the creation of a continuous organic phase and a continuous aqueous phase in the formation, wherein said surfactant component is capable of reducing the interfacial tension between the continuous organic phase and the continuous aqueous phase to less than 1 dyne/cm; b. recovering from the production well a portion of the organic phase and a portion of the aqueous phase, at least one of said portions containing at least a portion of polymer and surfactant components that are not adsorbed or consumed in the formation along with a portion of native petroleum surfactants generated in the porous formation; c. adjusting the conditions of the recovered organic phase and aqueous phase in order to force at least a portion of the polymer components and surfactant components from the organic phase into the aqueous phase by use of chemical, physical, electrical or gravitational means or a combination of said means; d. separating the resulting aqueous phase; e. concentrating the polymer components and surfactant components in said separated aqueous phase to the desired concentration; and f. re-injecting at least a portion of the concentrated polymer components and surfactant components into the injection well.