Patent ID: 8646524

Claim:
A process for enhancing the recovery of heavy hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation through the use of microwave heating in horizontal wells, the process comprising the steps of: positioning an antenna within a horizontal source well, wherein the source well comprises at least one horizontal branch that is generally horizontal in orientation, the horizontal branch located in close proximity to the underground hydrocarbon formation, the underground hydrocarbon formation comprising heavy hydrocarbons, the antenna comprising source emitters spaced along the axially length of the antenna, such that the source emitters are operable to transmit in a predetermined direction; coupling the source well to the producing well using a system operable to monitor the temperature in the source well and to control the frequency of microwave energy in a producing well, where the producing well is located below and adjacent and in fluid communication with the underground formation; emitting microwave energy from the source emitters in the predetermined direction into the underground hydrocarbon formation such that a microwave energy field is defined in the predetermined direction and such that the viscosity of substantially all of the heavy hydrocarbons within the defined microwave energy field in the predetermined direction is reduced; monitoring the temperature within the source well; controlling the frequency of the microwave energy such that the temperature within the producing well may be controlled in order to upgrade the heavy hydrocarbons in-situ; removing at least a portion of the heavy hydrocarbons from the underground hydrocarbon formation through a horizontal branch of the producing well; and recovering the heavy hydrocarbons from the producing well with the assistance of an artificial lift system, where the heavy hydrocarbons have an increased API gravity and reduced amounts of sulfur.