The present invention relates to a process for the gelation (i.e. thickening) of salt water which includes the steps of forming a solvent system of an organic liquid or oil and a polar cosolvent, the polar cosolvent being less than about 15 weight percent of the solvent system, a viscosity of the solvent system being less than about 100 cps; dissolving a nonionic surfactant and water insoluble, neutralized or unneutralized sulfonated polymer in the solvent system to form a solution, a concentration of the neutralized, or unneutralized sulfonated polymer in the solution being about 0.01 to about 0.5 weight percent, the concentration of the nonionic surfactant in the solvent system being about 0.0001 to about 1.0 weight percent, a viscosity of the solution being less than about 2,000 cps; and admixing or contacting said solution with about 5 to about 500 volume precent of salt water, the salt water being immiscible with the organic liquid and the polar cosolvent, nonionic surfactant and the water insoluble, neutralized or unneutralized sulfonated polymer transferring from the organic liquid to the salt water phase, thereby causing the salt water phase to gel.