Methods and systems monitor conditions in a hydrocarbon reservoir with a multilateral observation well. The observation well may detect vertical development of a steam chamber that forms in the reservoir during thermal hydrocarbon recovery operations. Further, the observation well may include branches that extend to form vertical bores with temperature sensors for the monitoring, which may occur during the recovery operations performed in other wells since the observation well may be dedicated to only the monitoring.

Methods and systems relate to recovering hydrocarbons from within formations in which hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs are separated from one another by a fluid flow obstructing natural stratum. Relative to the reservoirs, the stratum inhibits or blocks vertical fluid flow within the formation. Lateral bores divert from lengths of injector and producer wells along where extending in a horizontal direction. These bores pass upward through the formation to intersect the stratum and provide an array of fluid flow paths through the stratum. In a side direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction of the wells, the lateral bores from the injector well pass through the stratum inside of where the lateral bores from the producer well pass through stratum. Fluid communication established by the bores limits counter-current flow through the bores in processes that rely on techniques such as gravity drainage.

A steam assisted gravity drain for heavy oil, comprising a body sub-assembly having first and second ends; a top sub insertable into the body sub-assembly; a bottom sub insertable into the body sub-assembly; first and second diffuser caps encircling the top sub and the bottom sub, respectively; a plurality of radially arranged flow tubes extending between the diffuser caps and the body sub-assembly; and a sliding sleeve extending between the top and bottom subs. A method of flow conditioning for heavy oil pipelines, comprising the steps of attaching a plurality of steam assisted gravity drains in a closed position to a liner; running the drains vertically downhole into the horizontal leg of a well; and running a shifting tool downhole and selectively opening the sleeve of the drain by stabbing the shifting tool into the sleeve and pulling the sleeve back.

A method and apparatus are shown for burning crude oil or natural gas extracted from an underground reservoir, or for burning both crude oil and natural gas extracted from an underground reservoir, for providing thermal energy. The method and apparatus are also shown transferring the thermal energy to brine separated from the extracted oil, gas or both, for providing heated brine, or for converting the thermal energy to mechanical work, or for both transferring the thermal energy to the separated brine and converting the thermal energy to mechanical work. The method and apparatus are also shown heating the underground reservoir with the heated brine injected into the underground reservoir, or heating the underground reservoir with a resistive cable energized by electricity generated by converting the mechanical work to electric energy, or heating the underground reservoir with both the heated brine and the energized resistive cable.

An electric submersible pump motor can include a housing; a cavity defined at least in part by the housing; a rotor disposed in the cavity; a stator disposed in the cavity where the stator includes stator laminations and stator windings disposed at least in part in slots of the stator laminations; and stator slot liners disposed at least in part in the slots of the stator laminations where the stator slot liners include polytetrafluoroethylene and/or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.

A magnetic flux receiver assembly includes a collar that defines a central passageway and an axial collar face, and a tool insert disposable within the central passageway and defining an axial insert face. One or more magnetometers are operatively coupled to the tool insert. One or more buttons are coupled to one or both of the axial collar face and the axial insert face such that an axial gap is defined at an axial interface between the axial collar face and the axial insert face to prevent electrical communication across the axial interface.

A method for recovering petroleum from a formation, wherein at least two injection wells and at least one production well are in fluid communication with said formation, comprising: introducing a gaseous mixture into a first and a second injection well at a temperature and a pressure, wherein said gaseous mixture comprises steam and non-condens able gas (NCG); and recovering a fluid comprising petroleum from said production well, wherein said injection wells and a production well are horizontal wells, and wherein said first injection well is disposed 1-10 meters above said production well, and said second injection well is disposed at least 5 meters above said first injection well.

A process includes: (a) injecting a steam composition into a subterranean location containing bitumen, the steam composition containing an alkylene glycol ether and steam, wherein the alkylene glycol ether is other than a glycol ether amine; and (b) recovering bitumen from the subterranean location to above the ground.

A method is provided for producing upgraded heavy oil from a subterranean reservoir by producing a steam chamber within the reservoir by the action of steam and flowing a liquid phase additive into a near wellbore region of the steam chamber to control asphaltenes mobility within the near wellbore region. Build-up of asphaltenes, which derive from the heavy oil, in the near wellbore region has the potential of affecting heavy oil production rates from the reservoir. The additive is formulated to mobilize the asphaltenes within this region.

Thermal energy delivery and oil production arrangements and methods thereof are disclosed which heat a subterranean formation, and which comprises positioning concentric tubing strings in a wellbore; heating a heat transfer fluid using a surface thermal fluid heater; flowing a liquid or feedwater downward through an extremely hot innermost tubing string that is inside and concentric to an outermost tubing string and a casing/annulus, which extends below a thermal packer positioned in the wellbore, and continually circulating the heat transfer fluid through the outermost tubing string and the casing/annulus above the thermal packer such that the liquid or feedwater flowing through the innermost tubing string is heated thereby and injected into the wellbore below the thermal packer and out of perforations to heat the subterranean formation to temperatures that allow for hydrocarbon production from the subterranean formation. Emissions may be injected into the subterranean formation with the liquid or feedwater.