VISBREAKING-ENHANCED THERMAL RECOVERY METHOD UTILIZING HIGH TEMPERATURE STEAM

VISBREAKING-ENHANCED THERMAL RECOVERY METHOD UTILIZING HIGH TEMPERATURE STEAM The displacement efficiency of a steam drive process is improved and steam override reduced by rapidly injecting a predetermined amount of high temperature steam via an injection well into the formation to visbreak a portion of the oil in the formation prior to a steam drive wherein steam is injected into the formation via the injection well to displace oil to a spaced-apart production well through which oil is recovered. The visbroken oil provides a more favorable transition of mobility ratio between the phases in the formation thereby reducing viscous fingering and increasing the displacement efficiency of the steam drive. In addition, after a predetermined amount of high temperature steam has been injected into the formation, the formation may be allowed to undergo a soak period prior to the steam drive. The high temperature steam injection and soaking steps may be sequentially repeated for a plurality of cycles.