Patent ID: 7651981

Claim:
A process of recovering materials from a subterranean formation, wherein said subterranean formation includes a production means via which organic fluids can be removed from the subterranean formation and an injection means via which an injection fluid can be injected into the subterranean formation, wherein the process comprises injecting an injection fluid into the subterranean formation via said injection means to drive materials within the formation towards said production means, wherein said injection fluid comprises: (I) a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material which can react with the first polymeric material to form a third polymeric material; and/or (II) a said third polymeric material; wherein said first polymeric material comprises: (i) a first polymeric material having a repeat unit of formula wherein A and B, which are the same or different, are selected from optionally-substituted aromatic and heteroaromatic groups and at least one comprises a relatively polar atom or group and R 1 and R 2 independently comprise relatively non-polar atoms or groups; or (ii) a first polymeric material prepared by providing a compound of general formula wherein A, B, R 1 and R 2 are as described above, in an aqueous solvent and causing the groups C═C in said compound to react with one another to form said first polymeric material; wherein said second polymeric material includes a functional group which is able to react in the presence of said first polymeric material to form a said third polymeric material; and wherein said third polymeric material comprises a product of a reaction involving: (a) a first polymeric material as described in (i) or (ii); and (b) a second polymeric material which includes a functional group which is able to react in the presence of said first polymeric material to form said third polymeric material.