Patent ID: 8044000

Claim:
A method of treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a well bore, comprising the steps of: a. mixing a rheological polymer, a partitioning agent and a first liquid medium to form a heterogeneous mixture comprising a dispersed rheological polymer-rich phase and a partitioning agent-rich phase, wherein the partitioning agent-rich phase is continuous and the rheological polymer-rich phase is finely dispersed therein; b. diluting the heterogeneous mixture with a second liquid medium miscible with the first liquid medium to mutually dissolve the polymer-rich phase and the partitioning-agent rich phase mechanically, thermally, or mechanically and thermally, processing the heterogeneous mixture effective to increase the rate of hydration of the rheological polymer to and form a well treatment fluid comprising a continuous mixed polymer-agent phase; and, c. injecting the well treatment fluid into the well bore.