Compositions and methods for hydraulic fracturing

A method of treating a subterranean formation with a viscosified polymer treatment fluid comprising a viscosifying agent additive and a water swellable polymer additive, said method comprising:

• forming a dispersion of water swellable particles, said particles comprising synthetic polymers that are crosslinked so that said polymers are insoluble in water;
• combining an inverting surfactant with said dispersion of water swellable crosslinked polymer particles to form said water swellable polymer additive;
• combining said water swellable polymer additive with a carrier fluid and said viscosifying agent additive to form said viscosified polymer treatment fluid;
• wherein said viscosifying agent additive is capable of imparting viscosity to said polymer treatment fluid in the absence of said water swellable particle additive;
• and
• wherein said polymer treatment fluid is introduced into said formation at a pressure above a fracturing pressure of said formation.

A method for hydraulically fracturing a hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formation and for controlling production of aqueous fluids from a well penetrating said hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formation following said hydraulic fracturing treatment, comprising:

• introducing a polymer treatment fluid through said well into at least a portion of said hydrocarbon-bearing formation, said polymer treatment fluid comprising a first additive that includes a dispersion of water swellable particles, said particles comprising synthetic hydrophillic polymers that are crosslinked so that said polymers are insoluble in water, said particles comprising between about 30% and about 99.9% nonionic hydrophillic monomer by total weight of monomers;
• wherein said polymer treatment fluid is introduced into said formation as at least one of a proppant-laden viscosified polymer treatment fluid comprising a mixture of a fracture proppant material, a second additive comprising viscosifying agent, and said polymer treatment fluid;
• or as a treatment fluid comprising said polymer treatment fluid introduced into said hydrocarbon-bearing formation as a pad stage before or as a flush stage after a viscosified proppant-laden treatment fluid comprising a fracture proppant material;
• wherein said first additive differs from said second additive;
• wherein a fracture is induced in said hydrocarbon-bearing formation during said treatment;
• wherein said hydrocarbon-bearing formation has water-bearing areas or is positioned nearby a water-bearing formation;
• and
• wherein said polymer particles interact with said water-bearing areas of said hydrocarbon-bearing formation or with said nearby water-bearing formation so as to limit production of aqueous fluids from said well following said treatment.