Patent ID: 7186673

Claim:
A method for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation, said method comprising the steps of: a) preparing a water-in-oil emulsion by 1) obtaining oil to be used in said emulsion, 2) pretreating at least a portion of said oil, said pretreating step comprising at least one of adding a polymer which comprises a fuctionalized or a functionalizable polymer to said oil, biotreating said oil, photochemically treating said oil, or combinations thereof, wherein where said pretreating step includes adding a functionalizable polymer said method further includes functionalizing said functionalizable polymer. 3) adding water, and 4) mixing until said water-in-oil emulsion is formed; b) injecting said water-in-oil emulsion into said subterranean formation; and c) recovering hydrocarbons from said subterranean formation.