Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground formation having a first exploited or partially exploited region and a second less exploited region in at least partial fluid communication with said first region. Electrical heating means is provided in the first region, and electrical energy supplied to the first region to raise or sustain its pressure to mitigate the loss of fluids and pressure from the second region due to hydraulic interaction with the first region. The electric heating affects the pressure by thermal expansion of the liquids and vapors present in or added to the first region and/or flashing of those liquids to vapors. The use of electric means is advantageous over the prior art by allowing for the redirection of injection fluids to more active regions of exploitation, and allows for more timely reclamation of the equipment and surface area above the first region.

Abstract: A method for improving injectivity conformance of a hydrocarbon bearing heterogeneous subterranean formation by reducing the variance in water saturation throughout the formation, as a means of improving recovery when steam injection is later applied. A solvent plunger is developed by incremental injections of solvent followed by periods of arrest to permit the solvent to mix with the oil in the areas of relatively high water saturation thereby creating a plunger to uniformly displace the water in the formation to achieve water injectivity conformance along the well.

Abstract: Methods and systems for enhanced thermal recovery of subsurface hydrocarbons comprising the use of multilateral branches, wherein the multilateral wells are completed in a manner to improve individual branch control.

Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbons from an underground formation having a first exploited or partially exploited region of a hydrocarbon-containing formation and a second less exploited hydrocarbon-containing region in fluid communication or in partial fluid communication with said first region. Electrical heating means is provided in the first region, and electrical energy supplied to the first region to raise or sustain its pressure to mitigate the loss of fluids and pressure from the second region due to hydraulic interaction with the first region. The electric heating affects the pressure by thermal expansion of the liquids and vapours present in or added to the first region and/or flashing of those liquids to vapours. The use of electric means is advantageous over the prior art by allowing for the redirection of injection fluids to more active regions of exploitation, and allows for more timely reclamation of the equipment and surface area above the first region.

Abstract: A thermal recovery method employing an electrical pre-heating method to condition the hydrocarbon-bearing formation as a means of improving recovery when steam injection is later applied. In addition, a method of comparing the applied electrical flux and resulting temperature profile to determine the heat transfer properties of each of a plurality of reservoir regions along the length of a horizontal well is disclosed. Advantageously, the heat flux supplied to each of the regions may be varied relative to each other region to compensate for different thermal transfer properties which may exist in the formation within each of the regions. Such controlled variation in thermal energy transfer, compensating for variances in fluid mobility and thermal properties in the reservoir allows for a more even steam chamber development and therefore optimized oil recovery.