Surfactant composition for direct emulsion drilling fluid

A surfactant composition, the surfactant composition comprising:

• an alkyl ether anion surfactant comprising an oleth carboxylate;
• and
• an organic acid composition comprising an organic acid represented by Formula (I):
• wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of a substituted (I) alkyl, an unsubstituted C1-C8 alkyl, a substituted C1-C8 alkylene, an unsubstituted C1-C8 alkylene, substituted C1-C8 alkynl, an unsubstituted C1-C8 alkynl, substituted C1-C8 alkynlene, an unsubstituted C1-C8 alkynlene, substituted C1-C8 aryl, an unsubstituted C1-C8 aryl, a substituted C1-C8 alkoxy, an unsubstituted C1-C8 alkoxy, and combinations thereof;
• R2 is an C1-C3 alkoxy;
• n is an integer of 1 to 5;
• and
• m is an integer of 0 to 5.

A method, comprising:

• obtaining a drilling fluid comprising an emulsion of an oil dispersed within an aqueous phase, the emulsion stabilized using a surfactant composition comprising:
• an alkyl ether anion surfactant;
• and
• an organic acid composition;
• and
• drilling a well into a geologic formation using the drilling fluid from a surface of the well through vertical sections and into lateral sections.