What is fire-flooding?

I saw this term on the main page, but could somebody explain me what it meanns?
Thanks

Basically, fire-flood systems use fire to enhance recovery of oil in producing (heavy-oil) fields. You dig a well, pump in air, and flood it with fire. Near the fire, the heat cracks the bitumen into coke and distillates. Further away, the high temperatures cause thinning of the bitumen. The distillates the mix with the thinned bitumen, causing even less viscous fluids to form. This may result in better flow volumes in nearby producing wells. The coke keeps burning, so the process can continue when new oxygen is added.

Hope that helped!

Thanks!!! that's a good explanation.
Do you have any articles or books I could read on the subject?

Here's the slb glossary link: http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/Di ... 20flooding

If you want to find out more, please look also for the term in situ combustion (or in-situ combustion) which is more often used as an alternative for fire flooding.

The recovery method has been field-applied for heavy or waxy crude since the early 60s, but never really kicked-in, at least not in conventional reservoirs. It does offer the chance of 100% evacuation of oil from the reservoir, but you can't call it 100% recovery as parts of the oil are burned off.

It is the method to improve secondary recovery of oil in a tank, a combustion process starts at the depot injection wells by the continual introduction of oxygen-containing gas or other material for combustion, and combustion wave is driven through the reservoir toward the production.

A method of thermal recovery in which a flame front is generated in the reservoir by igniting a fire at thesandface of an injection well. Continuous injection of air or other gas mixture with high oxygen content will maintain the flame front. As the fire burns, it moves through the reservoir toward production wells.

Nice answer by alexisrois. it's help us for people.

A method of thermal recovery in which a flame front is generated in the reservoir by igniting a fire at the sandface of an injection well. Continuous injection of air or other gas mixture with high oxygen content will maintain the flame front. As the fire burns, it moves through the reservoir toward production wells. Heat from the fire reduces oil viscosity and helps vaporize reservoir water to steam. The steam, hot water, combustion gas and a bank of distilled solvent all act to drive oil in front of the fire toward production wells.