Shell Oil Comapny

Athabasca Oil Corporation

Athabasca Oil Sands Corp.

Bruce Roberts

Harold J Vinegar

Scott Lee Wellington

Eric Pierre De Rouffignac

John Michael Karanikas

Kevin Albert Maher

Meliha Deniz Sumnu-Dindoruk

Margaret Ann Messier

Steven Dexter Crane

Doug Beattie

Tarek Hamida

Arthur H Hale

Bryan Gould

Ian Atkinson

Stephen D Crane

Neeraj Patel

Arthur Hale

A method for producing bitumen or heavy oil from a reservoir, the method comprising: defining at least one lateral section of the reservoir for placement of patterns of heater wells above a producer well; placing the producer well at a substantially centered location at or adjacent to the bottom of the reservoir within each of the lateral sections; placing a triangular pattern of heater wells above the producer well; placing a regular or non-regular pentagonal pattern of heater wells, or a portion thereof, at or above the triangular pattern of heater wells; heating the reservoir with the triangular and pentagonal patterns of heater wells to conductively heat the reservoir and reduce the viscosity of the bitumen or heavy oil; and producing bitumen or heavy oil with the producer well.

Thermally assisted gravity drainage (TAGD)

A system and method for producing bitumen or heavy oil from a clastic or carbonate reservoir. The mobility of the bitumen or heavy oil is increased by conductive heating to reduce the viscosity. The bitumen or heavy oil is heated to temperatures below the thermal cracking temperature of the bitumen or heavy oil. As the bitumen or heavy oil is produced, evolved gases or evaporated connate water or both form a gas chamber which acts to replace the volume of the produced fluid required for the gravity drainage process.

An in situ process for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that heat from the one or more heat sources pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part. Hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation.

In situ recovery from a hydrocarbon containing formation

An in situ process for treating a tar sands formation is provided. The process may include providing heat from one or more heaters to at least a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the one or more heaters to a part of the formation such that heat from the one or more heat sources pyrolyzes at least some hydrocarbons within the part. Hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation.

In situ thermal processing of a tar sands formation

A method for treating a relatively permeable formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to a portion of the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the heat sources to a selected section of the formation. The transferred heat may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons within the selected section. A mixture of hydrocarbons may be produced from the selected section. A production rate of the mixture may be controlled to adjust the time that at least some hydrocarbons are exposed to pyrolysis temperatures in the formation in order to produce hydrocarbons of a selected quality in the mixture.

In situ thermal recovery from a relatively permeable formation with controlled production rate

A method for treating a relatively permeable formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from a first set of heat sources to a first section of the formation. The heat provided to the first section may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons in the first section. Heat may also be provided from a second set of heat sources to a second section of the formation. The heat provided to the second section may mobilize at least some hydrocarbons in the second section. A portion of the hydrocarbons from the second section may be induced to flow into the first section. A mixture of hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation. The produced mixture may include at least some pyrolyzed hydrocarbons.

In situ thermal recovery from a relatively permeable formation

A method for treating a relatively permeable formation containing heavy hydrocarbons in situ may include providing heat from one or more heat sources to a selected section of the formation. The heat provided to the selected section may pyrolyze at least some hydrocarbons in the selected section. A blending agent may be produced from the selected section. A portion of the blending agent may be adapted to blend with a liquid to produce a mixture with a selected property.

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Calgary, Canada

Bruce Roberts