Patent ID: 8720548

Claim:
A process comprising: (a) injecting H 2 O and sulfur hexafluoride into a subterranean region through a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation; (b) introducing microwaves into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H 2 O and sulfur hexafluoride molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H 2 O and sulfur hexafluoride within the region to produce heated H 2 O and heated sulfur hexafluoride (c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region by contact with the heated H 2 O and heated sulfur hexafluoride to produce heated heavy oil; and (d) producing the heated heavy oil through a second wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation; thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region; wherein a portion of the H 2 O is injected as steam and the steam 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.