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The design of an alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) formulation for chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery poses multiple challenges from the experimental point of view. The present research examines the laboratory procedures and experimental results aimed at selecting the most suitable chemicals for an ASP pilot trial at the Caracara Sur field (Los Llanos Basin, Colombia). The key challenge was the limited compatibility of the surfactant and polymer selected under reservoir conditions (temperature and total salinity), leading to phase separation of the ASP solution and losses of the activity of both chemicals. An extension of the experimental program was required to re-design the formulation and mitigate risks of damaging the formation in the following field trials. The formulation comprised an alkyl benzene sulfonate as main ingredient, a hydrolyzed polyacrylamide as viscosifying agent and some weak alkali to reach the optimum salinity of the mixture. A mono-alkyl diphenyl disulfonate ether was added as coupling agent to improve compatibility of the ASP mixture. The performance of the selected ASP formulation was assessed by means of interfacial tension measurements, long-term thermal stability tests and dynamic core-flooding tests. The formulation provided ultra-low interfacial tension (Ͻ 10 -2 mN/m) and viscosity enough to assure an appropriate mobility control. Hence, the formulation was considered to be suitable for further testing in the field pilot.