Patent ID: 7987912
Filing Date: 2011-08-02
Classification: C08F

Abstract:
1. A process comprising the steps of supplying via a wellbore to a subterranean location, an oilfield fluid comprising a viscosifying agent selected from a polymer accompanied by a crosslinking agent therefor and the crosslinked product of a polymer and crosslinking agent, wherein one of said polymer and said cross-linking agent comprises diene groups and the other of them comprises dienophile groups, and exposing the fluid to conditions at the subterranean location, which induce or reverse a Diels-Alder reaction between the polymer and crosslinking agent, thereby altering fluid viscosity at the subterranean location by converting between a condition in which the fluid contains polymer and crosslinking agent and a more viscous alternative condition in which the fluid contains the crosslinked product of said polymer and crosslinking agent.