oxide substrate such as proppant or subterranean formation the system also contains a penetrating alcohol capable of disrupting the water layer that coats solid surfaces in the formation the system does not modify the chemical structure of friction reducers and gelling systems such as non ionic cationic and anionic polyacrylamide and guar gums and derivatives so the system is compatible with slick water systems and borate based crosslinked gels spe 128048 provides a figrure reproduced here as fig5 showing the change in the zeta potential in 325 mesh silica and in ground coal samples when treated at concentrations of 6 gal of zpas per 1 000 lb of silica or of coal material in both cases the zpas increases the mean zeta potential of the particles towards more neutral values with a lower standard deviation the resulting values are in the zeta potential range where higher agglomerating effects are expected the particular aspects of the chemical additive applied in the chemical treatment 50 may depend on the expected chemistry downhole including considerations of temperature pressure type of produce fluid expected size of formation particulates expected types of formation substrate etc being able to treat the formation so that formation particulates.