Patent ID: 7303006

Claim:
A method for recovering oil from a pattern element of a subterranean formation, the formation having an upper boundary and a lower boundary, the pattern element having a lower completion interval for fluid injection and a higher vertically displaced completion interval for fluid injection and a completion interval for fluid production, comprising: injecting a gas into the lower completion interval at a first selected gas injection rate for a selection time; injecting water into the higher completion interval at a first selected water injection rate for a selected time; decreasing water injection rate into the higher completion interval for fluid injection for a selected time, while maintaining a selected gas injection rate into the lower completion interval for fluid injection, so as to increase rate of gas flow upward in the formation and form a mixed flow zone in the formation between the lower completion interval and the upper boundary of the formation, then continuing water injection into the higher completion interval for fluid injection; and recovering oil from the completion interval for fluid production.