Patent ID: 7931088

Claim:
A method for treating at least a portion of a well, the method comprising the steps of: a) simultaneously introducing into an impeller mixer at least: i) a first stream comprising water; ii) a second stream comprising a dry, hydratable, viscosity-increasing agent for water, wherein the second stream is substantially free of water; and iii) a third stream comprising a non-hydratable, insoluble particulate; b) mixing the first, second, and third streams in the impeller mixer to form a pumpable mixture, wherein: i) the impeller mixer creates at least a sufficiently-high shear rate to disperse the viscosity-increasing agent and the insoluble particulate in the pumpable mixture; and ii) the pumpable mixture has or is capable of developing a substantially-higher viscosity than the viscosity of the first stream; and c) introducing a treatment fluid comprising the pumpable mixture into a wellbore; wherein the impeller mixer comprises: a) a housing defining an inner chamber; b) a first inlet connected to the housing and capable of directing the first stream into the inner chamber of the housing; c) a second inlet connected to the housing and capable of directing the second stream into the inner chamber of the housing; d) an outlet connected to the housing and capable of directing the pumpable mixture away from the housing; and e) an impeller within the housing.