Novel water soluble copolymers of acrylamide, oil soluble higher alkylacrylamide and alkali metal acrylate have been found to provide efficient viscosification of water or brine. The process for synthesizing them relies on the complete solubilization of the water insoluble monomer into an aqueous solution of the water soluble monomer(s) by means of a suitable water soluble surfactant. A redox initiator system is used in conjunction with high monomer concentration and a low reaction temperature. The surfactant chosen and its concentration is one that produces a clear, uniform, homogeneous mixture in the presence of the monomers and gives a product which remains a clear uniform, homogeneous mixture with no phase separation as the reaction proceeds toward completion. The molecular weight of the resulting polymer after isolation from the surfactant is sufficiently high that it gives an intrinsic viscosity greater than about 12 dl/g.