Blockade™

Blockade™ is a high-quality Lost Circulation Material (LCM) that can be used to formulate a high-fluid-loss, water-based or oil-based "LCM Squeeze" slurry which can be squeezed into a loss zone when catastrophic mud losses are encountered.

A Blockade™ slurry produces an immovable mass which hardens like cement within fractured or vugular formations.

The resulting matrix provides compressive strength sufficient to hold surrounding rock in compression, creating a "stress cage," thereby strengthening the wellbore.

When mixed with active mud and F.I.T.™, Blockade™ can be pumped in sweep fashion while drilling in order to achieve "Squeeze-While-Drilling" . This approach achieves early fracture tip screen-out and greatly reduces the likelihood of encountering massive mud losses.

F.I.T.™ and Blockade™ can also be mixed together in whole mud and then spotted as a pill above a thief zone to achieve a "Soft Squeeze" when losses are encountered. A typical pill consists of 25 ppb of each F.I.T.™ and Blockade™ mixed in whole mud.

The "Squeeze-While-Drilling" and "Soft Squeeze" techniques have proven to be effective in curing moderate to severe loss of circulation problems in significantly less time than is required for a conventional LCM squeeze.

A Blockade™ slurry will not set up in open hole and must de-water before hardening.

Unlike cement squeezes, a Blockade™ squeeze will not result in unintentional sidetracks. This is especially important when substantial open hole is exposed below a casing shoe that has been compromised.