Patent ID: 7896075

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a linear gelled fluid that comprises an aqueous base fluid, a plurality of particulates, and a linear particulate transport enhancing additive, wherein the linear particulate enhancing additive is a polymeric material that forms a gel in the presence of an aqueous fluid and that imparts at least one of the following properties to the linear gelled fluid: (a) a yield stress that satisfies the following inequality: ( ρ p - ρ f ) ⁢ g c ⁢ R τ 0 < 3 wherein τ o is the yield stress in units of Pascals, wherein ρ p is the mean density of the particulates with units of kilograms per meter cubed, ρ f is the density of the fluid with units of kilograms per meter cubed, g c is the gravitational acceleration constant defined as 9.8 meters per second squared, R is the mean radius of the particulates with units of meters, (b) a crossover frequency at the temperature in a portion of a subterranean formation where the linear gelled fluid is introduced of less than about 0.01 radians per second, or (c) a particulate settling time of the linear gelled fluid that is at least about 300 percent longer than the particulate settling time of a standard linear guar gel; introducing the linear gelled fluid into a portion of a subterranean formation; and using the linear gelled fluid to create or enhance at least one fracture in at least a portion of the subterranean formation.