Patent ID: 8607866

Claim:
A method comprising the sequential steps of: a) forming a steam assisted gravity drainage production well pair within a formation and comprising an injection well and a production well; b) beginning a preheating stage by introducing heat between the injection well and the production well and including at least one of three methods selected from microwave, radio frequency heating and steam circulation in which fluid is produced simultaneously and continuously during steam injection and in a same one of the wells used for the injection such that the circulation is independent between the injection and production wells; c) beginning a steam squeeze stage by injecting steam into the formation via at least one of the injection well and the production well at a rate greater than which the steam is reproduced out of the injection well and the production well, wherein the steam that does not reproduce out of the injection well and the production well is greater than 50%; and d) beginning steam assisted gravity drainage production that is started with the well pair and is thereby each initial use of the injection well and the production well in a steam assisted gravity drainage process.