Performance evaluation of oil-displacement viscoelastic zwitterionic surfactant fracturing fluid

•Stearicamide propyl hydroxylsulfobetaine was self-synthesized in the lab and firstly used to prepare VES fracturing fluid.•The novel system demonstrates excellent temperature resistance and suitable for deep oil and gas reservoir stimulation.•The drag reduction performance of the system at different temperatures can reach more than 60%.•The micelle-breaking fluid of this system has the potential to enhance oil recovery, even under heterogeneous conditions.