A new completion technique has been developed which allows unlimited drawdown and improves productivity in wells completed in unconsolidated formations containing shales and clays. Historically, producing oil and gas from such reservo~rs has been limited by rate-dependent sand productlon and fines migration which resulted in near wellbore formation plugging. This technique eliminates the problems of sand pr?duc~ion and fines migration ~y artificially consolldatlng a volume of reserVOlr sand near the wellbore.The consolidation is resistant to high temperature, chemical attack, and degradation resulting from high velocity fluid flow. Additi onally, paras ity and permeabil ity in the consolidated volume of reservoir sand are improved as a result of irreversible dehydration of clays.