Patent ID: 8118096

Claim:
A method for extracting liquid hydrocarbons from an underground reservoir, comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one oxidizing gas injection well for injecting an oxidizing gas into an upper part of an underground reservoir; (b) providing at least one other injection well for injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into a lower part of an underground reservoir; (c) providing at least one production well having a substantially horizontal leg and a substantially vertical production well connected thereto, the horizontal leg having a heel portion in the vicinity of its connection to the vertical production well and a toe portion at the opposite end of the horizontal leg; (d) injecting an oxidizing gas through the oxidizing injection well for in situ combustion, so that combustion gases are produced, wherein the combustion gases progressively advance laterally as a front, substantially perpendicular to the horizontal leg, and fluids drain into the horizontal leg; (e) injecting a hydrocarbon condensate into said other injection well; and (f) recovering hydrocarbons in the horizontal leg of the production well from said production well.