Patent ID: 7540324

Claim:
A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation using a checkerboard pattern, comprising: providing heat to two or more first sections of the formation with one or more first heaters in two or more of the first sections such that the provided heat mobilizes first hydrocarbons in two or more of the first sections; producing at least some of the mobilized first hydrocarbons through production wells located in two or more second sections of the formation, the first sections and the second sections being arranged in a checkerboard pattern, the checkerboard pattern having at least one of the first sections substantially surrounded by three or more of the second sections and at least one of the second sections substantially surrounded by three or more of the first sections; wherein a portion of at least one of the second sections proximate at least one production well is provided some heat from the mobilized first hydrocarbons but is not conductively heated by heat from the first heaters; and providing heat to the second sections with one or more second heaters in the second sections to further heat the second sections.