The present disclosure relates to a particularly effective well configuration that can be used for single well steam assisted gravity drainage of SW-SAGD wherein steam flashing through production slots is prevented by included passive inflow control devices or active interval control valves in the completion.

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 method and a system for recovering oil from currently inaccessible oil containing geological units by activating the deep biosphere microbial seed bank. Nutrient and thermal enhancement of microorganisms in oil containing geological units allows for stimulation of inactive and/or dormant microorganisms such that they proliferate and produce gas. The oil viscosity that is decreased by heat, along with the gas pressure produced by activated microbes which allows previously inaccessible oil to flow toward production wells.

A composition for reducing the viscosity of heavy oils, comprising a mixture of terpene and petroleum distillate wherein the mixture has a flash point of at least 95° C.

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.

A well configuration for co-injection processes, wherein a horizontal producer well at the bottom of the pay is combined with injection or injection and producer wells that are vertical and above the lower horizontal production well. This well arrangement minimizes “blanket” effects by non-condensable gases.

A vapor blow through avoidance method, process and system for oil producing wells developed based on an innovative theory of vapor blow through pump. The system consists of casing gas remover, dynamic fluid level detector and downhole pump. Process includes adjusting casing gas remover and or pump rate based on result of comparison of the detected dynamic fluid level with the pre-set target dynamic fluid level; therefore, it prevents vapor in annular space blowing through pump and optimizes the well production. The avoidance system applies to single or group and horizontal or vertical wells.

Disclosed herein are methods for producing hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir that is penetrated by an injection well and a production well. The methods comprise operating the injection well under a set of injection parameters and operating the production well under a set of production parameters to produce a production fluid that has an API gravity that changes over time (ΔAPI) as the method is advanced towards an ultimate recovery factor (RF.sub.o,u) for the reservoir. The methods further comprises modulating the injection parameters, the production parameters, or a combination thereof to decrease or increase the API gravity of the production fluid depending on whether ΔAPI and RF.sub.o,u satisfy a set of requirements as disclosed herein.

A system for heating a hydrocarbon resource in a subterranean formation having a wellbore extending therein may include a radio frequency (RF) source, a choke fluid source, and an elongate RF antenna configured to be positioned within the wellbore and coupled to the RF source, with the elongate RF antenna having a proximal end and a distal end separated from the proximal end. The system may also include a choke fluid dispenser coupled to the choke fluid source and positioned to selectively dispense choke fluid into adjacent portions of the subterranean formation at the proximal end of the RF antenna to define a common mode current choke at the proximal end of the RF antenna.