Abstract: A steam-assisted gravity drainage or cyclic steam injection method for recovering oil from a development region of an underground reservoir, further employing water injection along one or more peripheral side edges of the development region via a horizontal well or wells to thereby bound the development region on at least one side edge thereof, and preferably along two or more side edges, with water to thereby reduce steam loss from the development region and thus reduce steam-to-recovered oil ratio (SOR). The water may be combined with diluents. The water which is injected into the horizontal well or wells may comprise produced water recovered from said reservoir.

Abstract: A steam-assisted gravity drainage or cyclic steam injection method for recovering oil from a development region of an underground reservoir, further employing water injection along one or more peripheral side edges of the development region via a horizontal well or wells to thereby bound the development region on at least one side edge thereof, and preferably along two or more side edges, with water to thereby reduce steam loss from the development region and thus reduce steam-to-recovered oil ratio (SOR). The water may be combined with diluents. In a preferred embodiment, the water which is injected into the horizontal well or wells comprises produced water recovered from said reservoir.