A method for recovering fluids such as crude oil, associated solution gas, formation water, injected water, natural gas and other gases, and natural gas liquids, from a hydrocarbon producing reservoir or formation in which fluids collected in one or more substantially horizontal wells are routed to the surface through a substantially vertical wellbore. The method may be employed in connection with entirely new well systems, by drilling a vertical wellbore to intersect or penetrate the producing formation in close proximity to one or more existing horizontal wells, or by drilling one or more horizontal wells to intersect or terminate in close proximity of an existing vertical wellbore. Preferably, the vertical wellbore extends to a depth greater than the depth of intersection with the horizontal well or wells, forming a sump for the collection of fluids.

The present invention provides a system and method for producing an effluent contained in a geological formation forming a reservoir for said effluent or producing formation, including a central well, at least one subhorizontal drain as well as a displacing or displacement agent, the displacement agent being injected into the formation either from the central well or from the subhorizontal drain and the displacement agent causes migration of the effluent to be produced.

A thermal method is described for recovering normally immobile hydrocarbon oil from a subsurface tar sand deposit. The procedure comprises: (a) establishing at least one substantially vertical production bore hole extending from the surface of the earth to at least the bottom of said subsurface formation; (b) providing a plurality of bore holes extending downwardly from the surface of the earth through the tar sand formation to substantially the bottom thereof and then substantially horizontally at or near the bottom of the tar sand formation and converging radially inward to each bore hole, each radial bore hole containing a perforated or slotted tube; (c) continuously injecting steam downwardly through the perforated or slotted tubes whereby the steam discharges through the perforations or slots and into the tar sand formation to reduce the viscosity of the normally immobile oil, with a substantial proportion of the steam being injected into the formation via the portion of each tube extending downwardly through the tar sand formation whereby the steam reduces the viscosity of the normally immobile oil over an area extending substantially between the perforated tube and the top of the tar sand formation with this viscosity reducing area expanding radially and moving axially inwardly toward the vertical production bore hole thereby creating an expanding generally conical-shaped production chamber; and (d) draining the less viscous oil and steam condensate thus obtained downwardly by gravity to the bottom of the production chamber and then through the horizontal tubes into the bottom of the vertical production bore hole for collection.

The disclosed invention is a method of recovering hydrocarbons through parallel horizontal wells by use of steam and water injection. Steam is injected into two parallel horizontal wells to stimulate the formation and then the second horizontal well is converted to a production well. About the time of steam breakthrough at the second well, the steam injection at the first well is converted to water injection, production is suspended from the second well, and steam is injected through the second and third wells. After a suitable period of stimulation time, the third well is converted to a producing well, steam injection is continued through the second well, and water injection is continued through the first well.

A method and apparatus for the improved recovery of oil from porous sub-surface deposits such as tar sands comprising mining and drilling a well with upper and lower horizontal rectangular grids extending outward into the deposit and applying steam heat or super heated crude oil vapor through the lower grid and hot pressurized flue gas through the upper grid. The flue gas and steam or super heated crude oil vapor are produced in a generation facility that provides electricity for the installation from turbine generators, the crude oil for super heating being provided by an initial production from the deposit following flue gas injection. Steam condensate is recycled from the recovered oil to the generation facility thereby reducing the water requirements and environmental pollution, and, where super heated crude oil vapor is used, a portion of the produced crude is used for this purpose.