Shell Oil Comapny

Tulio Rafael Colmenares

John Michael Karanikas

Namit Jaiswal

Eric Pierre De Rouffignac

Robert Charles Ryan

Etuan Zhang

Weijian Mo

Gary Lee Beer

Augustinus Wilhelmus Maria Roes

Zhen Li

Robert George Prince-Wright

Marian Marino

John Andrew Stanecki

Dirk Roelof Brouwer

Oluropo Rufus Ayodele

Jean-Charles Ginestra

Robert James Dombrowski

Deniz Sumnu Dindoruk

Zuher Syihab

Henry Eduardo Pino, Sr

Robert Bos

A method for treating a tar sands formation includes providing heat from a first heater located between a steam injection well and a production well in a hydrocarbon containing layer. The first heater, the steam injection well, and the production well are located substantially horizontally in the layer. Heat is provided from a second heater horizontally offset from the first heater. The second heater is located vertically above an injection/production well and substantially horizontally in the layer. Steam is injected into the layer through the steam injection well after a selected amount of heat is provided from the first heater. Hydrocarbons are produced from the layer through the production well. Steam is injected and hydrocarbons are produced alternately through the injection/production well after a selected amount of heat is provided from the second heater.

Heater assisted fluid treatment of a subsurface formation

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

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

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Tulio Rafael Colmenares