Patent ID: 8408313

Claim:
A method for obtaining heavy oil by increasing access to a subsurface formation, comprising: accessing from a location, a subsurface formation having an overburden stress disposed thereon, the subsurface formation comprising heavy oil and uncemented sands; conditioning throughout the subsurface formation from the location by increasing fluid pressure throughout the subsurface formation to develop a relatively constant fluid pressure within the subsurface formation, wherein the conditioning relieves the overburden stress to allow at least a portion of the uncemented sands to become mobile; initially producing from the location a portion of the uncemented sands made mobile by the conditioning and at least one fluid from the subsurface formation to increase access to the subsurface formation, wherein the step of initially producing utilizes the increased fluid pressure in the subsurface formation; and producing from the location at least a portion of the heavy oil from the subsurface formation utilizing the increased access.