Patent ID: 8193126

Claim:
A method of making an aqueous flooding fluid for use in waterflooding, comprising: (a) adding one or more ionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, said one or more ionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers comprising: (i) vinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate and one or more anionic comonomers present at a total of about 1 to about 5 mol % relative to the combined moles of vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate; and (ii) optionally, one or more non-ionic comonomers present at about 0 to about 7 mol % relative to the combined moles of vinyl alcohol and vinyl acetate; wherein the total monomers in (i) and (ii) are present at less than or equal to about 8 mol %; wherein the hydrolysis level of the one or more ionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers is greater than or equal to about 90%; and wherein the one or more ionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers dissolves greater than or equal to about 95% in water at about 25° C. within about 14 hours; to at least one portion of water used in waterflooding.