Surfactant compositions for treatment of subterranean formations and produced oil

A method of treating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:

• placing in the subterranean formation a surfactant composition comprising an emulsion of
• an aqueous phase that is about 10 wt % to about 80 wt % of the surfactant composition and
• an oil phase that is about 10 wt % to about 80 wt % of the surfactant composition, the surfactant composition further comprising;
• a (C1-C5)alkyl alcohol that is about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % of the surfactant composition;
• an alkanolamide surfactant that is about 0.1 wt % to about 40 wt % of the surfactant composition, wherein the alkanolamide surfactant is a (C1-C50)hydrocarbyl amide having groups R1 and R2 substituted on the amide nitrogen, wherein R1 and R2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of —H and —(CH2—CH2—O)n—Rz, wherein at least one of R1 and R2 is —(CH2—CH2—O)n—H, at each occurrence Rz is selected from the group consisting of —H and (C1-C50)hydrocarbyl, and n is about 1 to about 30, and wherein the alkanolamide surfactant is soluble in oil such that the alkanolamide surfactant solubilizes the composition oil phase;
• an alkoxylated alcohol surfactant that is about 0.1 wt % to about 40 wt % of the surfactant composition, wherein the alkoxylated alcohol surfactant is a (C1-C50)alkyl alcohol having a —(CH2—CH2—O)m—H group on the alcohol group, wherein m is about 1 to about 30;
• and
• an ionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, or a combination thereof that is about 0.01 wt % to about 40 wt % of the surfactant composition, selected from the group consisting of an alkylamine ethoxylate surfactant, an alcohol ethoxylate surfactant, a fatty acid ethoxylate surfactant, an alkyl glycoside surfactant, an amine-oxide surfactant, an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, an amphiphilic surfactant, and a combination thereof;
• and
• reducing or eliminating a formation emulsion comprising an oil phase in the subterranean formation, reducing or eliminating formation of a formation emulsion comprising an oil phase in the subterranean formation, or a combination thereof by partitioning the alkanolamide surfactant into the formation emulsion oil phase.

A method of treating produced petroleum comprising an emulsion comprising an oil phase, the method comprising:

• contacting the produced petroleum comprising the emulsion with a surfactant composition to reduce or eliminate the emulsion, the surfactant composition comprising a composition aqueous phase and a composition oil phase and further comprising:
• an alkanolamide surfactant soluble in oil such that the alkanolamide surfactant solubilizes the composition oil phase;
• an alkoxylated alcohol surfactant;
• and
• an ionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein reducing or eliminating the emulsion comprises partitioning the alkanolamide surfactant into the oil phase of the produced petroleum.