Patent ID: 7814968

Claim:
A hydrocarbon production apparatus comprising: an injection well bored above a production well within a hydrocarbon reservoir below a ground surface, the injection well comprising a horizontal section with a heel end and a toe end, the injection well and production well forming a well pair; perforated casing along a length of the horizontal section; hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid injection tubing disposed within the horizontal section and having a hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid injection end; a first wellbore restrictor transversely disposed within the perforated casing to control hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid flow along the injection well; the first wellbore restrictor being spaced closer to the toe end than the hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid injection end of the hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid injection tubing is to the toe end; a second wellbore restrictor transversely disposed within the perforated casing to control hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid flow along the injection well; the second wellbore restrictor being spaced equidistant or closer to the heel end than the hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid injection end of the hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid injection tubing is to the heel end of the horizontal section; and the first wellbore restrictor and the second wellbore restrictor each being movable through the horizontal section of the injection well under control from the ground surface to target injection into the hydrocarbon reservoir to produce a uniform hydrocarbon viscosity reducing fluid chamber above the horizontal section during use.