Patent ID: 8522875

Claim:
A method of fracturing a formation within a well comprising the steps of: a) preparing a liquid component at surface in a blender, the liquid component including: i) a viscosified liquid hydrocarbon component having an initial viscosity sufficient to temporarily support proppant admixed within the viscosified liquid hydrocarbon component; and, ii) a breaker for relaxing the viscosity of the viscosified liquid hydrocarbon component within a pre-determined period wherein the concentration of breaker within the viscosified liquid hydrocarbon component is sufficient to relax the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon component to less than 10 cP at 170 sec −1 at 293K within 30 minutes; b) mixing the proppant into the liquid component in the blender; c) introducing the proppant/liquid component into a high pressure pump and increasing the pressure to well pressure; d) mixing a gas component at high pressure with the proppant/liquid component under high turbulence conditions; and, e) pumping the combined gas and fluid from step d) at well pressure and at a high rate and down the well, wherein the combined gas and fluid is 3-25 vol % liquid component and 75-97 vol % gas component exclusive of the proppant.