Sodium Silicates and Potassium Silicates have proven to be cost-effective and environmentally-responsible high-performing chemicals in numerous oilfield applications, including drilling fluids, cementing and enhanced oil recovery.
Silicate-Based Drilling Fluids
It has been known since the 1920s that water-based drilling fluids formulated with potassium or sodium silicate provide superior shale stability, regardless of shale type. Eighty years later, silicates are still recognized as the most effective water-based shale inhibitor. Silicates are non-toxic and one of the few oil field chemicals that can be beneficial to the environment both on-land and offshore.
Oilwell Cement
The design and placement of an effective cementing system is critical to the commercial success of every oil and gas well. A quality cementing job not only provides a strong bond between casing and formation but also seals off the formation and protects the pipe. soluble silicates allow oilwell cements to be formulated to meet these challenges. KEMAK produces a wide range of both liquid and powder sodium silicates.
How it works
For conformance control of unwanted water and in cementing, the gelation and precipitation chemistries of silicates are exploited to give a cost- effective, durable, and high strength gel. By controlling the type and concentration of setting agent, sodium silicate can be made to gel and set in minutes to hours. Depending on depth of placement and desired reaction time the sodium silicate solution is formulated with an external or internal catalyst.