Shell Oil Comapny

Namit Jaiswal

John Michael Karanikas

Harold J Vinegar

Weijian Mo

Tulio Rafael Colmenares

Ramesh Raju Mudunuri

Eric Pierre De Rouffignac

George Leo Stegemeier

Robert Charles Ryan

Etuan Zhang

Gary Lee Beer

Augustinus Wilhelmus Maria Roes

Zhen Li

Robert George Prince-Wright

Marian Marino

John Andrew Stanecki

Dirk Roelof Brouwer

Jean-Charles Ginestra

Robert James Dombrowski

Zuher Syihab

Robert Bos

A method of heating a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation includes providing heat flux per volume to a first portion of a subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation. The heat flux per volume is provided by two or more first heat sources positioned in the first portion. Heat flux per volume is provided to a second portion of the subsurface hydrocarbon containing formation with the heat flux per volume being provided by two or more second heat sources positioned in the second portion. The heat flux per volume provided by the two or more second heat sources is greater than the heat flux per volume provided by the two or more first heat sources. The second portion is positioned below the first portion.

Irregular pattern treatment of a subsurface formation

A method for treating a tar sands formation is disclosed. The method includes heating a first portion of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from one or more heaters located in the first portion. The heat is controlled to increase a fluid injectivity of the first portion. A drive fluid and/or an oxidizing fluid is injected and/or created in the first portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from a second portion of the hydrocarbon layer to a third portion of the hydrocarbon layer. The second portion is between the first portion and the third portion. The first, second, and third portions are horizontally displaced from each other. The third portion is heated from one or more heaters located in the third portion. Hydrocarbons are produced from the third portion of the formation. The hydrocarbons include at least some hydrocarbons from the second portion of the formation.

Moving hydrocarbons through portions of tar sands formations with a fluid

Methods of treating a tar sands formation are described herein. Methods for treating a tar sands may include providing heat to at least part of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from one or more heaters located in the formation. The heat may be allowed to transfer from the heaters to at least a portion of the formation such that a drive fluid is produced in situ in the formation. The drive fluid may move at least some mobilized, visbroken, and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from a first portion of the formation to a second portion of the formation. At least some of the mobilized, visbroken, and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons may be produced from the formation.

Method of producing drive fluid in situ in tar sands formations

Methods for treating a tar sands formation are described herein. Methods may include heating at least a section of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation. The heat may be controlled so that at least a majority of the section reaches an average temperature of between 200&#xb0; C. and 240&#xb0; C., which results in visbreaking of at least some hydrocarbons in the section. At least some visbroken hydrocarbon fluids may be produced from the formation.

Heating tar sands formations to visbreaking temperatures

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Namit Jaiswal