A ranging system and method uses three-dimensional (“3D”) magnetic field measurements to correct ranging distance and direction. Ghost well interference may also be decoupled from the ranging solutions using 3D magnetic gradient field measurements.

A method to produce in-situ steam comprising the steps of producing a laser beam in a steam generator segment positioned in a wellbore in a formation; introducing the laser beam to an activated carbon container, where the activated carbon container comprises activated carbon; increasing a temperature of the activated carbon with the laser beam to produce a hot activated carbon; introducing water to the activated carbon container through a water supply line; producing steam in the activated carbon container when the water contacts the hot activated carbon; increasing pressure in the activated carbon container as steam is produced until a pressure set point of an inter-container valve is reached; releasing steam through the inter-container valve to a steam container; increasing a pressure in the steam container until a release set point of one or more release valves is reached; and releasing steam through the release valve to the formation.

There is provided a process to recover bitumen from a subterranean hydrocarbon reservoir. The process includes injecting steam and oxygen separately into the bitumen reservoir. When mixed in the reservoir, the mix is in the range of 5 to 50% O.sub.2. The process also includes producing hot bitumen and water using a horizontal production well, and producing/removing non-condensable combustion gases to control reservoir pressure.

A system for ranging between a target well and a ranging well using unbalanced magnetic fields. The system comprises a current injection path associated with a target well casing. The current injection path is configured to generate a first magnetic field. A return path is coupled to the current injection path. The return path is configured to generate a second magnetic field such that the first and second magnetic fields are unbalanced with respect to each other. The unbalanced magnetic fields can be measured and used to range with the target well.

A system includes a drillstring with an electromagnetic (EM) transmitter in a first borehole. The system also includes at least one fiber optic sensor deployed in a second borehole. The system also includes a processor configured to demodulate a data stream emitted by the EM transmitter based on EM field measurements collected by the at least one fiber optic sensor.

Methods and systems for determining a liquid level in a formation between a horizontal segment of an injection wellbore and a horizontal segment of a production wellbore are disclosed. Under shut-in conditions, local temperatures and pressures are determined for each of a plurality of inflow zones along the production wellbore segment. Local profile values are determined based on local shut-in subcool values and local shut-in liquid levels. After flow has resumed, a local liquid level is determined based on the local operating subcool value and the local profile value for that inflow zone. The local profile values may be updated during subsequent shut-ins.

A method of optimization ICD design that includes consideration of reservoir characteristics, well configuration and type of enhanced oil recovery technique, as well as needed performance characteristics. Thus, the ICD is optimized for particular wells, reservoirs and/or enhanced oil recovery uses.

A process to utilize at least one water lean zone (WLZ) interspersed within a net pay zone in a reservoir and produce bitumen from the reservoir, includes using Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage with Oxygen (SAGDOX) to enhance oil recovery, locating a SAGDOX oxygen injector proximate the WLZ, and removing non-condensable gases.

In a method for controlling the interface level between a liquid inventory and an overlying steam chamber in a subterranean petroleum-bearing formation, an inflow relationship is developed to predict the vertical position in a gravity field of the interface between two fluids with a density contrast (most commonly a water/oil emulsion and steam), relative to a horizontal producer well. The inflow relationship is applied to producer well completions by designing the completion to raise or lower sand face pressures over the horizontal length of the well. This pressure distribution will affect liquid levels according to the inflow relationship. Axial flow relationships for the liquid inventory may be developed to facilitate estimation of liquid levels at selected locations. Axial flow relationships for the steam chamber may also be developed to estimate the effect of the injector well completion on the steam chamber pressure and, in turn, the liquid level.

The invention relates to methods for the development of high-viscosity oil reservoirs with horizontal wells in the thermal impact on the reservoir. The method of developing deposits of high-viscosity oil or bitumen is carried out using a pair of horizontal injection and production wells, horizontal sections of which are arranged in parallel one above the other in a productive reservoir. The wells are equipped with tubing strings that allow simultaneous injection of a heat-transfer agent and extraction of the product. The method includes the steps of injecting the heat-transfer agent, heating the productive reservoir with the creation of a steam chamber, extracting the product by pumps from the lower production well through the tubing strings, the ends of which are located on opposite ends of the conventionally horizontal section of the well, determining mineralization of the produced water, determining the dependence of the uniformity of the steam chamber heating on changing the mineralization of water, and controlling the injection mode of the heat-transfer agent or extraction of he products from the wells to achieve a stable value of mineralization of the produced water ensuring uniform heating of the steam chamber. According to the invention, before the formation of the wells in the development test well or during the formation of the wells, core samples are selected for analyzing water mineralization and determining composition of dissolved elements. Based on these data, the optimum mineralization is determined in order to maximize oil recovery from the reservoir. After warming up of the reservoir and creating a steam chamber, the mineralization of produced water is determined at least once a day by directly measuring in the stream of the product. After reaching a stable value of mineralization of the produced water, the injection of the heat-transfer agent in the injection well and the withdrawal of the product from the production well without break of the heat-transfer agent in the production well is controlled so that the mineralization of the water is as much as possible close to the optimum value. The method allows to increase oil production by increasing the number of analyzes of the water mineralization and bringing the mineralization of the simultaneously extracted water to the optimum value.