A process for preparing a synthetic petroleum sulfonate comprising (a) reacting a first amount of at least one aromatic compound with a first amount of a mixture of olefins having from about 8 to about 100 carbon atoms, in the presence of a strong acid catalyst, wherein the resulting product comprises at least about 60 weight percent of a 1,2,4-trialkylsubstituted aromatic compound; (b) sulfonating the product of (a); and (c) neutralizing the product of (b) with an alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxide or ammonia.