Sand consolidation with flexible gel system

A method of consolidating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore, comprising:

• providing a consolidating fluid, wherein the consolidating fluid comprises a gel component and a gel-forming agent, said gel component selected from a polyvinyl polymer, polyvinyl alcohol, a polyacrylamide, an acrylamide copolymer or terpolymer, an acrylic acid-methacrylamide copolymer, a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, a polymethacrylamide, a partially hydrolyzed polymethacrylamide, a cellulose ether, a polysaccharide, a heteropolysaccharide, a lignosulfonate, a polyalkyleneoxide, a carboxycellulose, a carboxyalkylhydroxyethyl cellulose, a hydroxyethylcellulose, a galactomannan, a substituted galactomannan, an ammonium salt or alkali metal salt of the foregoing, an alkaline earth salt of a lignosulfonate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, methacrylamide, hydroxyethylacrylate, maleic acid, diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride, methylene bis-acrylamide, urea, vinyl acetic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, salts thereof, or a mixture thereof;
• and
• injecting the consolidating fluid into the formation through the wellbore, under conditions wherein the consolidating fluid forms a flexible gel, thereby consolidating the formation.