Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation comprises injecting a heated injection fluid composition into the formation. The heated injection fluid composition comprises at least steam and/or hot water (“W”) and a solvent (“S”) into the formation. Suitable solvents include C1 to C30 hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and combinations thereof. The heated injection fluid composition has a first W to S volume ratio, (W:S)1, greater than or equal to about 5:1. The W to S volume ratio is subsequently reduced, at least once, to a different W to S volume ratio, (W:S)n, wherein at least one (W:S)n is less than (W:S)1 and each (W:S)n is greater than or equal to about 1.5:1 and n is in the range of from about 2 to about 12,000.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for treating produced water from a heavy oil thermal recovery unit to achieve water recovery and recycle levels of greater than 80% and as high as 100% to achieve zero discharge criteria. The method includes the initial steps of capturing the waste heat energy from the high pressure steam separator located downstream of the steam generators. Further, transferring the heat energy into a heated separator and reboiler exchanger to distill oil reservoir produced water and recover distilled water and a concentrated brine or solid product. The heated separator concentrated stream is circulated through the reboiler exchanger to maintain from 1% to about 50% mass vapour in the stream returning to the heated separator and prevent fouling and scaling. The apparatus includes a low pressure waste energy separator, heated separator and vapour compressor in combination with a forced circulation circuit to generate the distilled water.

Abstract: An integrated gas conversion and bitumen production process utilizes steam and light hydrocarbons produced from a natural gas fed gas conversion process, to stimulate the bitumen production and dilute it for transportation by pipeline. Hydrogen for hydroconversion of the bitumen and hydroisomerization of gas conversion hydrocarbons may be produced from part of the synthesis gas generated from the natural gas. The bitumen diluent is preferably naphtha produced by the gas conversion and the diluted bitumen is pipelined to a bitumen upgrading facility.

Abstract: A process for recovery of hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir penetrated by an injection well and a production well spaced from the injection well, the process comprising:

Abstract: The invention includes a method of scheduling cyclic steaming of a group of petroleum-containing wells including: inputting to a production-predicting means a group of data describing at least in part the past cyclic steaming and resulting production of a group of petroleum-containing wells; processing the data in the production-predicting means and outputting a group of production predictions for the group of wells during a future steaming cycle; inputting the group of production predictions into an optimization means; inputting an initial steaming cycle schedule for the group of wells into the optimization means; processing the group of production predictions and the initial steaming cycle schedule in the optimization means by the steps including: determining a ranking for the initial steaming cycle schedule for the group of production predictions against a pre-determined ranking criteria; producing a group of new steaming cycle schedules based on the ranking of the initial steaming cycle a schedule optimiz

Abstract: A well configuration is provided comprising an injection well (102) completed relatively high in an oil reservoir (100) and a production well (103-106) completed relatively low in the reservoir (100). The production well has a horizontal leg (107) oriented generally perpendicularly to a generally linear and laterally extending, upright combustion front propagated from the injection well (102). The leg (107) is positioned in the path of the advancing front. Oil upgrading catalyst has been emplaced along the horizontal leg. The production well (103-106) is maintained open, thereby providing a low pressure sink which induces the front to advance along the leg. The hot combustion gases react with the commingled oil over the catalyst to provide in situ upgrading.

Abstract: A process and system which integrates on-site heavy oil or bitumen upgrading and energy recovery for steam production with steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) production of the heavy oil or bitumen. The heavy oil or bitumen produced by SAGD is flashed to remove the gas oil fraction, and the residue is solvent deasphalted to obtain deasphalted oil, which is mixed with the gas oil fraction to form a pumpable synthetic crude. The synthetic crude has an improvement of 4-5 degrees of API and lower in sulfur, nitrogen and metal compounds. The synthetic crude is not only more valuable than the heavy oil or bitumen, but also has substantial economic advantage of reducing the diluent requirement since it has lower viscosity than the heavy oil or bitumen. The asphaltenes, following an optional pelletizing and/or slurrying step, are used as a fuel for combustion in boilers near the steam injection wells for injection into the heavy oil or bitumen reservoir.

Abstract: The invention includes a method of scheduling cyclic steaming of a group of petroleum-containing wells including: inputting to a production-predicting means a group of data describing at least in part the past cyclic steaming and resulting production of a group of petroleum-containing wells; processing the data in the production-predicting means and outputting a group of production predictions for the group of wells during a future steaming cycle; inputting the group of production predictions into an optimization means; inputting an initial steaming cycle schedule for the group of wells into the optimization means; processing the group of production predictions and the initial steaming cycle schedule in the optimization means by the steps including: determining a ranking for the initial steaming cycle schedule for the group of production predictions against a pre-determined ranking criteria; producing a group of new steaming cycle schedules based on the ranking of the initial steaming cycle a schedule optimiz

Abstract: A thermal method is described for recovering normally immobile hydrocarbon oil from a subsurface tar sand deposit.

Abstract: A pair of vertically spaced, parallel, co-extensive, horizontal injection and production wells and a laterally spaced, horizontal offset well are provided in a subterranean reservoir containing heavy oil. Fluid communication is established across the span of formation extending between the pair of wells. Steam-assisted gravity drainage (“SAGD”) is then practised by injecting steam through the injection well and producing heated oil and steam condensate through the production well, which is operated under steam trap control. Cyclic steam stimulation is practised at the offset well. The steam chamber developed at the offset well tends to grow toward the steam chamber of the SAGD pair, thereby accelerating development of communication between the SAGD pair and the offset well. This process is continued until fluid communication is established between the injection well and the offset well.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for autogenic generation of a subterranean fluid flow, such as may be applied, for example, to enhance oil recovery or pollution abatement. In general, the method and system includes placing an electromagnetic apparatus down the borehole of an applicator well, and radiating energy into a permeable formation to achieve displacement flooding effects.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for enhancing oil recovery in oil-containing reservoirs formed of water-wet sand. The process involves placing oil-wet sand in the near-bore region of a production well. The process can be used to provide an improvement to both a conventional pressure driven fluid drive process and a conventional steam-assisted gravity drainage process. In the fluid drive process, the drive fluid is injected intermittently.

Abstract: A continuous process for removing organic contaminants from a subsurface formation. Including the steps of (a) injecting steam into the subsurface formation via an injection conduit, (b) removing a liquid stream from the subsurface formation via a liquid recovery conduit, (c) removing a vapor stream from the subsurface formation via a vapor recovery conduit, the vapor stream comprising both condensible vapors and non-condensible vapors, (d) combining the liquid stream and the vapor stream to create a combined stream and cooling the combined stream in a heat exchanger so that substantially all of the condensible vapors are condensed to condensed liquids, the condensed liquids being combined with the ground water liquid stream to form a combined liquid stream, and (e) separating the non-condensible vapors from the combined liquid stream.

Abstract: A method has been invented for recovering hydrocarbons from an earth formation containing hydrocarbons, the method including injecting a recovery injectant into the earth formation at a plurality of injection points spaced apart by about 14 to about 208 feet, and producing hydrocarbons from the formation with at least one producer well. In one aspect the method includes injecting steam into an earth formation which contains oil bearing diatomite at a plurality of injection points spaced apart by about 14 to about 208 feet, and producing hydrocarbons from the formation with a one or more producer wells extending into the oil bearing diatomite formation, with a plurality of producer wells spaced apart by a distance ranging between about 14 to about 149 feet, injecting steam into the oil bearing diatomite at an injection rate of between about 10 to about 149 barrels of steam per day per hundred feet thickness of diatomite, and injecting the steam at a pressure between about 10 p.s.i. to about 260 p.s.i.