Process for the extraction of crude oil

A process for the extraction of crude oil from crude oil-containing deposits wherein an emulsion consisting of

• (A) an organopolysiloxane made up of units of the formulae ##STR3## in which R represents monovalent hydrocarbon radicals having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, the hydrocarbon radicals being unsubstituted or substituted by halogen atoms, cyano, amino, alkylamino, quaternary ammonium, mercapto, epoxy, anhydrido, carboxylato, sulfonato, sulfato, phosphonato, isocyanato or polyoxy alkylene groups,
• R' represents monovalent hydrocarbon radicals having 1 to 30 carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, the hydrocarbon radicals being unsubstituted or substituted by halogen atoms, cyano, amino, alkylamino, quaternary ammonium, mercapto, epoxy, anhydrido, carboxylato, sulfonato, sulfato, phosphonato, iso cyanato or polyoxyalkylene groups,
• (B) from 10 to 100 parts by weight of a surfactant per 100 parts by weight of the organopolysiloxane, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfates, sulfonates, alkyl polyglycol ethers, alkylaryl polyglycol ethers and ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers,
• (C) water, and optionally
• (D) fillers, fungicides, bactericides, algicides and corrosion inhibitors, where the total of components (A), (B) and (D) is from 0.01% to 2% by weight of the emulsion,
• is introduced into the crude-oil containing deposits, thereby displacing crude oil and subsequently extracting the displaced crude oil through a production well.