There is a method for enhancing the recovery of oil from a reservoir. The
method has the step of a) introducing a flooding fluid into the reservoir
and b) extracting the oil through a wellbore at a location different than
the point of introduction of the flooding fluid into the reservoir. The
flooding fluid has water and an amount of one or more non-polymeric
viscoelastic surfactants sufficient to provide an interfacial surface
tension of about 1 mNm or less and a viscosity of about 10 cps or more.
The one or more surfactants is selected from the group of one or more
cationic surfactants, one or more zwitterionic surfactants, one or more
amphoteric surfactants, one or more anionic surfactants, and combinations
thereof.