Abstract: A water soluble and brine soluble rod-like polymer having recurring any units of the formula: ##STR1## wherein n is a 2 to 22 straight chained or branched chained alkyl or cycloalkyl group and the level of sulfonation is about 20 to about 100 mole %, and M is a tertiary amine or a metal cation selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron, lead, Groups IA, IIA, IB and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements.

Abstract: A water soluble or brine soluble rod-like polymer characterized by the formula: ##STR1## wherein n and n' are a 2 to 22 straight chained or branched chained alkyl or cycloalkyl group, and the level of sulfonation is about 20 to about 100 mole %, and M is a tertiary amine or a metal cation selected from the group consisting of alumina, iron, lead, Groups IA, IIA, IB ad IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements and level of alkylation is about 1.0 to 60 mole %.

Abstract: A water or brine soluble terpolymer having the structure: ##STR1## wherein x is selected from the group consisting of ##STR2## wherein x is about 70 to about 95 mole percent; y is about 0.1 to about 5.0 mole percent; z is about 1 to about 30 mole percent; R.sub.1 is methyl or hydrogen; a is about 1 to about 5; b is about 3 to about 4; R.sub.3 is an alkyl group of 3 to 4 carbon atoms; R.sub.4 is an alkyl group having about 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R.sub.5 is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbons, a hydrocarbon aryl group having about 6 to 20 carbons and an alkylaryl group having the structure of ##STR3## wherein A is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl groups, ethyl groups and propyl groups and mixtures thereof and c is about 6 to 20; and n is about 1 to 60.