Abstract: The present invention is directed to an in situ reservoir recovery process that uses a horizontal well located near the top of a reservoir and an inclined production well to extract bitumen or heavy oil from a reservoir. In a first stage, the top well is used for cold production of reservoir fluids to the surface, in which, reservoir fluids are pumped to the surface in the absence of stimulation by steam or other thermal and/or solvent injection. A lower production well is drilled into the formation below the top well. The top well is converted to an injection well or, if no cold production then a top well is drilled as an injector well. A portion of the bottom well is inclined so that one end of the incline is closer to the injector well than the other end of the incline. In the process, steam circulation creates a heated zone at the point of the two wells that are closest together in the reservoir.

Abstract: An endless chain for an apparatus which carries a plurality of articles to be treated around one or more article-treating drums, the chain and articles being continuously in motion. The chain is formed of a plurality of serially connected links which are joined to each other by pivotal connections, the axes of the pivotal connections being parallel to each other and parallel to the axes of the drums around which the chain travels. Each link has at least one cavity therein which receives the product to be treated, the cavity being of such shape that the product can be introduced thereinto and removed therefrom in a direction perpendicular to the plane containing the axes of the pivotal connecting means for the respective link. The chain travels upon a fixed guide upon which it slides, such fixed guide guiding the links laterally, the chain travelling between parallel fixed guides which prevent the escape of the articles from the cavities except at points where at least one of such latter guides is interrupted.