Abstract
The deepening and recompletion of existing wells has proven to be a good economic investment for many operators in eastern Kentucky. The deepening process involves squeezing the zone of initial completion, deepening the well, running casing, and recompleting in the Devonian shale. In many cases, problems occur after initial completions are squeezed. For example, fluids leaking into the drilled hole can compromise efficiencies if the well is drilled with air. If another cement squeeze is required to seal the zone, the operator incurs lost time and additional expense.
To produce an effective seal within the producing zone, operators may choose to use catalyzed silicates. This paper describes the catalyzed silicate process and explains why catalyzed silicates may often be more effective than cement. Case histories will show that catalyzed silicates are economically and operationally successful elements of the well-deepening process.