Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company

Eric Herbolzheimer

Paul M Chaikin

Zhengyu Zhang

Arnold P Kushnick

Sheng-Yuan Hsu

Nazish Hoda

Jianlin Wang

Steven W Meier

David Craig Dalrymple

Hemantkumar R Sahoo

David J Moser

David P Yale

Neal L Adair

In at least one specific embodiment, a method for recovering heavy oil includes accessing, from two or more locations, a subsurface formation having an overburden stress disposed thereon, the formation comprising heavy oil and one or more solids. The formation is pressurized to a pressure sufficient to relieve the overburden stress. A differential pressure is created between the two or more locations to provide one or more high pressure locations and one or more low pressure locations. The differential pressure is varied within the formation between the one or more high pressure locations and the one or more low pressure locations to mobilize at least a portion of the solids and a portion of the heavy oil in the formation. The mobilized solids and heavy oil then flow toward the one or more low pressure locations to provide a slurry comprising heavy oil and one or more solids. The slurry comprising the heavy oil and solids is flowed to the surface where the heavy oil is recovered from the one or more solids. The one or more solids are recycled to the formation.

Slurrified heavy oil recovery process

Growing community of inventors

Green Brook, NJ, United States of America

Eric Herbolzheimer