Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Ron Bouwmeester

B Raghava Reddy

Bach Dao

Ewout Biezen

Marco Verlaan

Cornelis Wouter Botermans

Methods and compositions for reducing the permeabilities of subterranean formations or zones are provided. The methods of the invention are basically comprised of introducing an aqueous composition into the formation or zone comprised of water, a water soluble organic polymer, an organic gelling agent for cross-linking the organic polymer and a gel retarder comprised of a chemical compound that hydrolyzes or thermolyzes to produce one or more acids in the composition and then allowing the aqueous composition to form a cross-linked gel in the formation or zone.

Methods and compositions for reducing subterranean formation permeabilities

Methods of treating subterranean zones penetrated by well bores wherein the static temperatures of the zones are as high as 400&deg; F. and greater include using aqueous treating fluids comprised of an aqueous liquid containing one or more inorganic monovalent salts, multivalent salts or both in an amount no greater than about 5% by weight of the aqueous liquid and one or more specific synthetic hectorite clay gelling and thixotropy imparting agents.

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Oude Wetering, Netherlands

Ron Bouwmeester