Patent ID: 8623953

Claim:
A method for increasing the at rest viscosity of a petroleum distillate product having a hydrocarbon base, said method comprising: combining an antioxidant to the hydrocarbon base to produce a mixture; heating the mixture to a temperature ranging from about 50° C. to about 60° C.; combining a sufficient amount of a shear-thinning pseudoplastic thickener to the mixture to make the product pseudoplastic, wherein the pseudoplastic thickener consists of a diblock copolymer increasing the temperature of the mixture to a temperature ranging from about 100° C. to about 105° C.; maintaining the temperature until the mixture forms a gel; optionally, increasing the temperature to about 140° C.; optionally, adding an amino acid gelling agent; and mixing the gel until the gel is free of one or more lumps and has a viscosity ranging from about 50 SUS at 100° F. to about 400 SUS at 100° F.