Patent ID: 8844639
Filing Date: 2014-09-30
Classification: C09K,E21B

Abstract:
1. A method of recovering heavy oil or bitumen from a reservoir under a gravity-dominated recovery process comprising: fractionating a diluent comprising pentane and hexane into fractions comprising a pentane-hexane fraction and an abridged diluent fraction; preparing a pentane-hexane solvent comprising the pentane-hexane fraction; injecting the pentane-hexane solvent into the reservoir as part of the gravity-dominated recovery process; producing heavy oil or bitumen and recovered pentane-hexane solvent from the reservoir, said heavy oil or bitumen and said recovered pentane-hexane solvent together comprising a produced heavy oil or bitumen blend; and combining the abridged diluent fraction and the produced heavy oil or bitumen blend to provide a blended oil.