Patent ID: 7510000
Filing Date: 2009-03-31
Classification: E21B,H05B

Abstract:
1. A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising: providing heat from a plurality of heaters in a plurality of wellbores to a section of the formation located below the surface of the formation, wherein heat from at least one heater in a first wellbore is superpositioned with heat from at least one other heater in a second wellbore to produce hydrocarbon containing formation fluid in the section; applying electrical current through one or more lead-in cables directly to one or more electrical conductors located in an opening in the formation, wherein the applied electrical current resistively heats the electrical conductors to provide electrically resistive heat output; allowing heat to transfer from one or more of the electrical conductors to a part of the formation containing at least a portion of the generated hydrocarbon containing formation fluid so that a viscosity of hydrocarbon fluids in the part and at or near the opening adjacent to the part is reduced; cycling between allowing formation fluid into a lift chamber in the opening through one or more check valves while inhibiting flow of lift gas into the lift chamber through one or more gas injection valves and inhibiting formation fluid into the lift chamber by closing one or more of the check valves while allowing lift gas into the lift chamber through one or more of the gas injection valves to transport formation fluid in the lift chamber through a conduit to the surface of the formation.