Treatment of an underground formation

Claim 2

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imidazoline is 2-imidazoline hydrochloride.

Claim 3

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline.

Claim 4

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline hydrochloride.

Claim 5

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imidazoline is 1-hydroxyethyl-2-methyl-2-imidazoline.

Claim 6

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said solvent is water.

Claim 7

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower alkanol is methanol.

Claim 8

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower alkanol is ethanol.

Claim 9

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower alkanol is a mixture of methanol and ethanol.

Claim 10

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clay containing body is adjacent a wellbore, said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline and said solvent is water.

Claim 11

Method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clay containing body is adjacent a wellbore, said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline and said solvent is methanol.

Claim 12

Method of recovering oil from an oil bearing underground formation containing clay wherein a displacement fluid selected from a group consisting of water, steam and mixtures thereof is applied to said formation and oil is recovered therefrom which comprises introducing a treating solution consisting of an imidazoline selected from the group consisting of 2-imidazoline, 2-methyl-2-imidazoline, 1--hydroxyethyl--2-methyl-2-imidazoline, the corresponding hydrochlorides, hydrobromides, nitrates, Acetates and mixtures thereof in a solvent into said formation , contacting said clay with said treating solution, thereafter introducing said displacement fluid into said formation under pressure to force said treating solution through the formation and recovering oil from said formation, said solvent being a member selected from the group consisting of water, a lower alkanol and a mixture of lower alkanols.

Claim 13

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said imidazoline is 2-imidazoline.

Claim 14

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said imidazoline is 2-imidazoline hydrochloride.

Claim 15

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline.

Claim 16

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline hydrochloride.

Claim 17

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said imidazoline is 1-hydroxyethyl-2-methyl-2-imidazoline.

Claim 18

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said solvent is water.

Claim 19

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said lower alkanol methanol.

Claim 20

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said lower alkanol is ethanol.

Claim 21

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said lower alkanol is a mixture of methanol and ethanol.

Claim 22

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said clay-containing body is adjacent a well bore, said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline and said solvent is water.

Claim 23

Method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said clay-containing body is adjacent a well bore, said imidazoline is 2-methyl-2-imidazoline and said solvent is methanol.