Abstract: A method of mining an oil deposit, wherein a plurality of underground workings with inlet and recovery galleries are provided in an oil-bearing bed. From the inlet galleries inlet wells are drilled, and from the recovery galleries--recovery wells. A heat carrier is supplied through the recovery wells to the oil-bearing bed and oil is extracted from the recovery wells. In so doing, each inlet gallery is arranged in the bed between two recovery galleries and near the faces of the recovery wells, while the inlet and recovery wells in the oil-bearing bed portions between the inlet and recovery galleries are drilled towards each other such that they should alternate to envelop the oil-bearing bed in a uniform network of wells.

Abstract: A method of mining an oil-bearing bed with bottom water, wherein a plurality of underground workings and at least one working gallery are arranged. Inlet and recovery wells are drilled from the gallery. A heat carrier is force-fed into the oil-bearing bed for heating the latter through the inlet wells. Oil is extracted from the recovery wells to the working gallery and delivered via the workings to the ground surface. While so doing, additional wells are drilled from the working gallery in the water-bearing portion of the bed in the zone of oil contact with bottom water and, simultaneously with the injection of the heat carrier into the inlet wells and extraction of oil from the recovery wells, water is extracted through the additional wells.

Abstract: The method of thermal-mine working of an oil reservoir includes providing at least one injection gallery and a recovery gallery and drilling therefrom, respectively, injection and recovery wells. The formation is heated up by feeding a heat carrier into the injection wells, and oil with associated water thus evolved is withdrawn through the recovery wells. The associated water is separated from the oil and pumped into the oil-bearing formation, to assist in driving-out the oil. The recovered oil is conveyed to the ground surface through the mine workings. At least one auxiliary well is also drilled, to connect directly the recovery gallery and the injection gallery; and, a pipe line is mounted in this auxiliary well and spaced from the walls of the bore of the auxiliary well. Oil and associated water are separated directly within the recovery gallery.

Abstract: A thermal-mining method of oil production is effected by digging a combination of underground workings and at least one working tunnel and by drilling injection and producing wells from said working tunnel. Then a heat carrier is forced into the oil-bearing bed for heating it to a temperature sufficient for the oil to acquire the necessary fluidity. The heat carrier is forced into the oil-bearing bed through injection wells at time intervals t.sub.1 found from an appropriate relation. The oil is withdrawn from the oil-bearing bed through the producing wells at time intervals t.sub.3 in which the time interval t.sub.1 of heat carrier injection into the injection wells is divisible by the time interval t.sub.3 of oil withdrawal from the producing wells, the multiplicity factor being equal to n=(t.sub.1 /t.sub.3).gtoreq.60.

Abstract: The method of thermal-mine oil production includes provision of a system of mine workings and at least one operation gallery, drilling production wells from the gallery into the upper and lower portions of the oil-bearing bed, drilling from the gallery injection wells into the central portion of the oil-bearing bed, positively injecting a heat carrier through said injection and production wells into the oil bearing bed to heat the latter to a temperature at which the oil attains the required fluidity within the oil bearing bed, positively feeding a heat carrier via the injection wells into the central portion of the oil-bearing bed for uniform distribution of the heat carrier throughout the body of the oil-bearing bed and forcing oil therefrom into the said production wells.

Abstract: The method of thermal-mine recovery of oil and fluent bitumens or kerogens includes providing a system of mine workings above an oil-bearing formation and drilling from these workings and from the ground surface a series of injection wells into the oil-bearing formation. An operation gallery is provided within the oil-bearing formation, from which a system of horizontal and inclined recovery wells is drilled. Then a heat carrier is positively injected into the oil-bearing formation to heat it to a temperature whereat the oil attains the required fluidity within the formation. Then a fluid is charged into the formation to force the oil from the oil-bearing formation into the horizontal and inclined recovery wells, toward the operation gallery, from which the oil is directed to the ground surface.