Process for enhanced production of heavy oil using microwaves

A process comprising:

• (a) injecting liquid H2O and an activator into a region through a first wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
• (b) introducing a frequency less than 3,000 MHz into a subterranean region at a frequency sufficient to excite the liquid H2O molecules and activator molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the liquid H2O and activator within the region to produce heated gaseous H2O and heated activator;
• (c) heating at least a portion of the heavy oil in the region by contact with the heated gaseous H2O and the heated activator 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 liquid H2O 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 and wherein a catalyst is injected into the region such that the catalyst contacts the heated heavy oil thereby producing an upgraded heavy oil.

A process comprising:

• (a) injecting H2O and an activator into a subterranean region through an injection wellbore of a steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
• (b) introducing a frequency less than 3,000 MHz into the region at a frequency sufficient to excite the H2O and activator molecules and increase the temperature of at least a portion of the H2O and activator within the region to produce heated H2O and heated activator;
• (c) heating at least a portion of the bitumen to below 3000 cp in the region by contact with the heated H2O and the heated activator to produce a heated heavy oil and a imposed pressure differential between the injection wellbore and a production wellbore;
• and
• (d) producing the heated heavy oil through the production wellbore of the steam assisted gravity drainage operation;
• thereby recovering heavy oil with the steam assisted gravity drainage operation from the subterranean region
• wherein the injection wellbore and the production wellbore are from 3 meters to 7 meters apart and the injection wellbore is located higher than the production wellbore;
• wherein the H2O 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 and
• wherein a catalyst is injected into the region such that the catalyst contacts the heated heavy oil thereby producing an upgraded heavy oil.