To provide an additive for crude oil recovery, used in secondary/tertiary recovery of crude oil, which has high heat resistance and high mechanical shear resistance, of which the viscous property does not degrade even under high-temperature and high-shear conditions; has high pseudoplastic flowability and therefore has a light transfer workload; and is a naturally-derived one and is therefore highly biodegradable and has least adverse impact on environment. An additive for crude oil recovery, which contains cellulose fibers having a number-average fiber diameter of from 2 to 500 nm and a fiber aspect ratio of 50 or more and having a cellulose I-type crystal structure, and, in the cellulose fibers, a hydroxyl group on a surface of the cellulose fibers is preferably chemically modified.