Patent ID: 8701768

Claim:
A method of treating a hydrocarbon formation, comprising: providing heat to a section of the formation from a plurality of heaters located in the formation; allowing the heat to transfer from the heaters to heat a portion of the section to a selected temperature to generate an in situ deasphalting fluid in the section, wherein the in situ deasphalting fluid comprises hydrocarbons having a boiling range distribution between 35° C. and 260° C. at 0.101 MPa; contacting at least a portion of the in situ deasphalting fluid with hydrocarbons in the section to remove at least some asphaltenes from the hydrocarbons in the section, wherein a majority of the hydrocarbons in the section have a boiling point greater than 260° C. at 0.101 MPa, wherein sufficient in situ deasphalting fluid is generated such that at least a 5:1 volume ratio of in situ deasphalting fluid to heavy hydrocarbons in the section is maintained; and producing at least a portion of the deasphalted hydrocarbons from the formation.