Abstract: The invention is a method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises injecting into an underground formation through an injection well about 0.05 to about 1.0 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug comprising about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of a surfactant system, injecting a drive fluid into the formation through the injection well to push the surfactant slug towards the production well, and recovering hydrocarbons at the production well, said surfactant system comprised of a lignin phenol surfactant, a lignin, a primary amine having about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, and a solubilizer.