Chemical flooding methods hold particular attraction for recovering the "residual oil" left in the reservoir after waterflooding. This paper describes and compares the results for two promising methods, viz. micellar flooding and alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding processes. Both of these methods have been tested successfully in the field. notably micellar flooding. Laboratory results are described for micellar floods in consolidated sandstone cores as well as in unconsolidated sand packs, including a three-dimensional model, equipped with horizontal or vertical wells. Floods were also carried out in unconsolidated cores using combinations of an alkali, surfactant and a polymer. Individual slugs were injected sequentially in some of the experimental while the three components were mixed and injected as a single slug in other experiments. Oil recoveries in the two cases were similar. Results for the two processes are compared and contrasted, showing that, on the basis of oil volume recovered per unit mass of the chemical used, the two processes are similar, with micellar flooding having an edge. However, on the basis of total oil recovery, micellar flooding is the superior process, with oil recoveries ranging from 50 to 80% of the oil left in the porous medium after a waterflood. Practical implications of the results are discussed.