Method for recovering hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean reservoir

A method of modifying the permeability to water of a subterranean formation comprising the step of injecting into the subterranean formation an aqueous composition comprising from about 0.005 percent to about 2 percent, by weight, of an α-glycol containing sulfonated epoxy resin composition wherein the α-glycol containing sulfonated epoxy resin composition is made by:

• (A) forming a sulfonated epoxy resin polymer reaction product by reacting
• (i) an epoxide-containing compound having an average of more than one epoxide group per molecule,
• (ii) a primary amino sulfonate,
• (iii) optionally a primary monoamine alkylene oxide oligomer, and
• (iv) optionally an epoxide reactive compound selected from a primary monoamine, a secondary diamine, a monohydroxyalkyl primary monoamine, a dihydroxyalkyl primary monoamine, a trihydroxyalkyl primary monoamine, a monohydroxycycloalkyl primary monoamine, a dihydroxycycloalkyl primary monoamine, or a trihydroxycycloalkyl primary monoamine and
• (B) converting unreacted epoxy groups in the reaction product from step (A) to α-glycol groups by hydrolysis.