Patent ID: 8772203

Claim:
An aqueous gel comprising: a water-soluble cationic polymer in an amount no greater than 1% by weight, an anionic surfactant in an amount less than that of the polymer, and a phosphorus-containing compound in an effective amount between about 0.001 wt % and about 10 wt. %, where the phosphorous-containing compound is selected from the group consisting of mono-alkali metal phosphate (PO(OH)(OM), where M is Li, Na, K, Rd, or Cs, di-alkali metal phosphate (PO(OH)(OM) 2 , where each M is the same or different and is Li, Na, K, Rd, or Cs, tri-alkali metal phosphate (PO(OM) 3 , where each M is the same or different and is Li, Na, K, Rd, or Cs, carbyl phosphate (PO(OR)(OM) 2 , where R is a carbyl group and each M is H, Li, Na, K, Rd, or Cs, dicarbyl phosphate (PO(OR 1 )(OR 2 )(OM), where R 1 and R 2 are the same or different carbyl groups and M is H, Li, Na, K, Rd, or Cs, tricarbyl phosphate (PO(OR 1 )(OR 2 )(OR 3 ), where R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are the same or different carbyl groups, or mixtures or combinations thereof, where the polymer and the anionic surfactant form a coacervate gel and where the effective amount is sufficient to increase a gel viscosity of the composition, increase a viscosity build up of the composition, and increase gel stability of the composition and where the composition is characterized in that the composition has a zero shear viscosity of at least 45,000 or a settling rate of no more than 8 millimeters measured by adding 10 mL of 20/40proppant to 100 mL of a 1.1 wt. % gel maintained at 80° C. in a 100 mL graduated cylinder and measuring a depth in millimeters of the gel from a top of the graduated cylinder.