Emulsification requiring very little input energy can be induced at an oil-water interface that is initially in a state of equilibrium. The process involves destabilization, through contraction, of local interfacial regions. For emulsification to occur, it is necessary for the interfacial structure to have no resistance to surface shearing. Such a mechanism of emulsification may have important implications for the approach to solving emulsion problems in the petroleum industry. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.