Patent ID: 8905127

Claim:
A process comprising: (a) injecting H 2 O into a subterranean region through a first wellbore of a cyclic steam stimulation operation; (b) introducing microwaves into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H 2 O molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H 2 O within the region to produce steam; (c) soaking the subterranean region with the steam; (d) producing revaporized steam and superheated steam by directing the microwaves to the steam and H 2 O molecules; (e) heating heavy oil in at least a portion of the subterranean region by contact with the revaporized steam and superheated steam to produce heated heavy oil; (f) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the cyclic steam stimulation operation; thereby recovering heavy oil with the cyclic steam stimulation operation from the subterranean region; wherein a portion of the H 2 O is injected as steam and the steam contacts heavy oil in at least a portion of the subterranean region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore and wherein the temperature of the superheated steam is greater than the temperature of the revaporized steam and the steam.