Viscous oil recovery method

Abstract

Viscous petroleum may be recovered from viscous petroleum-containing formations such as tar sand deposits in a process employing steam and air or a free oxygen-containing gas in the ratio of 0.05 to 0.65 M.S.C.F. per bbl. and a cyclical injection-production program in which first steam or steam and air are injected and fluids are produced without restriction until live steam is produced at the production well, after which steam and air are injected and production throttled to a value less than 50% and preferably less than 20% until the formation pressure at the production well rises to a value between about 60% to 95% of the steam injection pressure, after which fluid production is permitted without restriction and steam and air injection is reduced to a value less than 50% and preferably less than 20% of the original injection rate. The process should be applied to a formation in which adequate communication exists or in which a communication path is first established. The air and steam in the optimum ratio cause a low temperature, controlled-oxidation reaction in the formation. Optimum results are obtained if the pressurization and drawdown cycles are initiated shortly after the beginning of the steam-air injection program, and the process results in substantially increased oil recovery efficiency at all values of steam pore volumes injected.