Low dielectric zone for hydrocarbon recovery by dielectric heating

An apparatus for recovering hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, the apparatus comprising:

• a radio frequency antenna adapted to be positioned in a radio frequency antenna destination portion of a wellbore in a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, wherein the radio frequency antenna is configured for dielectric heating in a frequency range of 1 kHz to 100 MHz;
• a low porosity-low dielectric material that is positioned in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation proximate to the radio frequency antenna destination portion, wherein the low porosity-low dielectric material has a dielectric constant in a range of 1 to 20, a loss tangent in a range of 0.00001 to 0.4, and a porosity in a range of 0% to 5%, and wherein the low porosity-low dielectric material is positioned by squeezing the low porosity-low dielectric material into the hydrocarbon-bearing formation during a squeeze treatment;
• and
• wherein the low porosity-low dielectric material being capable of forming a low dielectric zone in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation when the radio frequency antenna is activated in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 100 MHz to increase the dissipation of energy from the radio frequency antenna into the hydrocarbon-bearing formation.

An apparatus for recovering hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, the apparatus comprising:

• a radio frequency antenna adapted to be positioned in a radio frequency antenna destination portion of a wellbore in a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, wherein the radio frequency antenna is configured for dielectric heating in a frequency range of 1 kHz to 100 MHz;
• a low loss casing is provided in the radio frequency antenna destination portion;
• and
• a low porosity-low dielectric material that is positioned in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation proximate to the radio frequency antenna destination portion, wherein the low porosity-low dielectric material has a dielectric constant in a range of 1 to 20, a loss tangent in a range of 0.00001 to 0.4, and a porosity in a range of 0% to 5%;
• wherein the low porosity-low dielectric material being capable of forming a low dielectric zone in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation when the radio frequency antenna is activated in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 100 MHz to increase the dissipation of energy from the radio frequency antenna into the hydrocarbon-bearing formation.