Patent ID: 8720547

Claim:
A process comprising: (a) injecting a solvent into a subterranean region through a first wellbore of a solvent assisted gravity drainage operation; (b) introducing microwaves into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the solvent molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the solvent within the region to produce a vapor (c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the subterranean region by contact with the vapor to produce heated heavy oil; and (d) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the solvent assisted gravity drainage operation; thereby recovering heavy oil with the solvent assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region; wherein a portion of the solvent is injected as vapor and the vapor contacts with at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region so as to heat the portion of the heavy oil and reduce its viscosity so that it flows generally towards the second wellbore.