Texaco Inc.

Kenny Wong

Wilbur L Hall

Disclosed is an improved viscous oil recovery method employing the injection of a thermal recovery fluid which may be steam or a mixture of steam and additives, and cycles of pressurization and drawdown. First the thermal recovery fluid is injected and production is restricted in order to increase the pressure in the reservoir. Injection is then terminated or decreased and production is increased in order to effect a pressure drawdown in the reservoir. Thereafter the production rate is decreased or production wells are shut in completely and non-condensable gas is injected to raise the pressure in the reservoir to a value which is from 50 to 90 percent of the final target pressure, after which the thermal recovery fluid is again injected into the formation to rebuild reservoir pressure with restricted production. Finally, production rate is increased and thermal recovery fluid injection is reduced or terminated in order to accomplish another reservoir drawdown cycle. Additional cycles of partial repressuring with non-condensable gas followed by steam injection followed by pressure drawdown production cycles may be employed.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Kenny Wong