Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for an improved apparatus for removing fruit from a tree comprising a rotatable member rotatably mounted to a frame having a first and a second array of picking arms with each array having a plurality of parallel spaced picking arms. The picking arms extend radially outwardly from the rotatable member with each of the picking arms having a transfer portion, an extracting portion and a retaining portion. The extracting portions define a curvature in a general shape of a hook with the retaining portions defining a barb. Rotating of the rotatable member entraps the fruit between adjacent picking arms with the extracting portions removing the fruit from the tree and with the retaining portions enabling the migration of the fruit along the transfer portion to a collector.

Abstract: In a gravity stabilized thermal miscible displacement process for recovery of normally immobile high viscosity hydrocarbons in a subterranean formation, a steam and solvent vapor mixture is injected into the top of the formation, thereby establishing a vapor zone across the top of the formation. The steam and vapor mixture is lean or undersaturated in solvent vapors. The steam vapors condense to give up heat and raise the temperature of the underlying viscous hydrocarbons, thus reducing the viscosity thereof. The solvent vapors condense and go into solution with the viscous hydrocarbons, further reducing the viscosity thereof enabling the hydrocarbons to drain under the force of gravity into an adjacent production well completed at the bottom of the reservoir and where the hydrocarbons are recovered. The pressure at the producing well is controlled so that the pressure differential through the formation is approximately equal to the gravity head of the liquids in the formation.