Patent ID: 7562706

Claim:
A system for treating a tar sands formation, comprising: a plurality of heaters located in the formation, wherein the heaters include at least partially horizontal heating sections at least partially in a hydrocarbon layer of the formation, the heating sections being at least partially arranged in a pattern in the hydrocarbon layer, and the heaters being configured to provide heat to the hydrocarbon layer, the provided heat creating a plurality of drainage paths for mobilized fluids, at least two of the drainage paths converging proximate at least one, at least partially horizontal production well that is located to collect and produce mobilized fluids from at least one of the converged drainage paths in the hydrocarbon layer, and wherein at least one horizontal heating section that is creating one of the drainage paths is at least partially vertically displaced from the at least partially horizontal production well and is at least partially above the at least partially horizontal production well.