During the drilling, completion, and production phases of wells for petroleum extraction, the downhole use of compositions having high viscosities, including gels, is important for a wide variety of purposes. Higher viscosity fluids can more effectively carry materials (e.g., proppants) to a desired location downhole. Similarly, higher viscosity fluids can more effectively carry materials away from a drilling location downhole. Further, the use of higher viscosity fluids during hydraulic fracturing generally results in larger, more dominant fractures.
Higher viscosity fluids are often prepared using fresh water, brine or sea water as base component. Fresh water, however, can be a scarce and costly resource, depending on where the fluid is being prepared or used. Further, brine, sea water or fluids (e.g., water) generally containing high total dissolved solids (TDS), including seawater, flowback water, produced water, formation water, salt-fortified fresh water, salt-fortified sea water, and heavy brine solutions, can adversely affect the viscosity of the fluids.