Patent ID: 8466094

Claim:
A method for fracturing a formation comprising the step of: pumping a fracturing fluid including a proppant into a producing formation at a pressure sufficient to fracture the formation and to enhance productivity, where the proppant props open the formation after fracturing and where the proppant comprises a particulate solid treated with a treating composition comprising a polymer comprising homopolymers selected from the group consisting of poly-2-vinyl pyridine, poly-4-vinyl pyridine, and mixtures or combinations thereof and copolymers selected from the group consisting of copolymers of 2-vinyl pyridine and 4-vinyl pyridine, copolymers of ethylene and 2-vinyl pyridine and/or 4-vinyl pyridine, copolymers of propylene and 2-vinyl pyridine and/or 4-vinyl pyridine, copolymers of acrylic acid and 2-vinyl pyridine and/or 4-vinyl pyridine, copolymers of methacrylic acid and 2-vinyl pyridine and/or 4-vinyl pyridine, copolymers of acrylates and 2-vinyl pyridine and/or 4-vinyl pyridine, copolymers of methacrylates and 2-vinyl pyridine and/or 4-vinyl pyridine, and mixtures or combinations thereof, and where the treating composition increases an aggregating propensity or self-aggregating properties of the proppant or decreases an absolute value of a zeta potential of the proppant increasing the ability for the proppant to adhere to formation surfaces keeping the proppant in the fractures formed in the formation.