Multiple infill wells within a gravity-dominated hydrocarbon recovery process

摘要

A method for recovering hydrocarbons from a subterranean reservoir by operating a substantially gravity-controlled recovery process with two adjacent well pairs. Each well pair includes an injector well and a producer well. A mobilized zone forms around each well pair through the gravity-controlled recovery process, and a bypassed region forms between the adjacent well pairs when the respective mobilized zone of each well pair merge to form a common mobilized zone. A plurality of infill producer wells are provided in the bypassed region. The plurality of infill producer wells are operated to establish fluid communication between the plurality of infill producer wells and the common mobilized zone. Once fluid communication is established, the plurality of infill producer wells and the adjacent well pairs are operated under a substantially gravity-controlled recovery process, and hydrocarbons are recovered from the plurality of infill producer wells and from the producer wells.