Patent ID: 7681647
Filing Date: 2010-03-23
Classification: C10G,E21B

Abstract:
1. A method for treating a tar sands formation, comprising: providing heat to at least part of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from one or more heaters located in a first portion of the formation; allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to at least a part of the first portion of the formation such that a drive fluid is produced in situ in the first portion of the formation; allowing the drive fluid to move at least some mobilized, visbroken, and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from the first portion of the formation to a second portion of the formation, the second portion being at least partially horizontally displaced relative to the first portion; producing at least some of the mobilized, visbroken, and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons from the second portion of the formation; and providing heat to at least a part of the second portion from one or more heaters located in the second portion after moving at least some of the mobilized, visbroken and/or pyrolyzed hydrocarbons into the second portion.