Importance

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Abstract

A process for producing hydrocarbon material from a hydrocarbon reservoir through a production well that is disposed in fluid communication with an injection well via an interwell region disposed within a communication zone, comprising: maintaining pressure within the communication zone above a predetermined high pressure during a high pressure production phase, in and during at least a fraction of the high pressure production phase, supplying the first production-initiating fluid to the communication zone such that: mobilization of producible hydrocarbon material within the communication zone is effected, and such that the mobilized hydrocarbon material is conducted to the production well and produced via the production well; and at least a fraction of the supplied non-condensable gaseous material becomes dissolved within hydrocarbon material disposed within the communication zone; effecting a reduction in pressure of the communication zone from above the predetermined high pressure to below a predetermined low pressure such that at least a fraction of the dissolved non-condensable gaseous material becomes liberated from solution within the hydrocarbon material and, upon the liberation, expands and thereby at least contributes to driving the mobilized hydrocarbon material to the production well; after the effected reduction in pressure, maintaining pressure within the communication zone below the predetermined low pressure during a lower pressure production phase; effecting an increase in pressure of the communication zone from below the predetermined low pressure to above the predetermined low pressure; and repeating steps through, at least once.

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First Claim