Abstract: The present invention is related to an aqueous composition of at least one hydrophobically associating polymer and at least one surfactant, the mixture's viscosity being substantially constant or increased over temperatures ranging from about 20° C. to about 100° C. In another embodiment, the invention is related to a method for recovering oil from a subterranean reservoir by injecting into the reservoir a mixture of at least 100 to 25,000 ppm of a hydrophobically associating polymer per million parts by weight of water, about 25 to about 7,500 parts by weight per million parts by weight of water of one or more surfactants; and from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, based on the weight of water, of salts selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth metal halides and mixtures thereof.