wherein R is an alkyl group containing from about 10 to about 58 carbon atoms, M is a mono-valent cation, and the alkylxylene moiety is alkyl-ortho-xylene in at least 85 percent of the total alkylxylene sulfonate and wherein the alkylxylene moiety in the alkylxylene sulfonate contains greater than about 70 percent of the 4-alkyl-1,2-dimethyl benzene isomer and the attachment of the alkyl group to the xylene moiety in the alkylxylene sulfonate is at positions higher than the 2-position along the alkyl chain in at least 40 percent of the total alkylxylene sulfonate, and wherein the alkyl group contains a distribution of alkyl chain lengths wherein the alkyl chain lengths comprise from about 40 to about 80 percent C₁₂ to C₂₀ and about 5 percent to about 15 percent of C₃₂ to C₅₈, and further wherein the optimum salinity of the alkylxylene sulfonate is in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 weight percent sodium chloride.