Systems and methods for controlling production of hydrocarbons

1. An inflow control device for regulating the flow of fluid from a hydrocarbon-containing reservoir into a production conduit, the inflow control device configured for fluid communication with the production conduit, and the inflow control device comprising:

an inlet for receiving reservoir fluid from the hydrocarbon-containing reservoir and communicating fluidly with a first fluid conducting passage;

the first fluid conducting passage having a first cross-sectional diameter, the first cross-sectional diameter being substantially constant along the first fluid conducting passage, wherein the first fluid conducting passage is configured to cause a reversible pressure drop within the reservoir fluid conducted therethrough;

a second fluid conducting passage for communicating fluidly with the first fluid conducting passage and having a second cross-sectional diameter, the second cross-sectional diameter being substantially constant along the second fluid conducting passage and greater than the first cross-sectional diameter at a defined ratio; and

the second fluid conducting passage having a length that is proportional to the first cross-sectional diameter; and wherein the second fluid conducting passage is configured to cause an irreversible pressure drop of the reservoir fluid conducted therethrough and to reduce a mass flow rate of the reservoir fluid through the inflow control device into the production conduit.

2. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the defined ratio is 3:1 or 2:1.

3. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the length of the second fluid conducting passage is at least between 10X greater and 50X greater than the first cross-sectional diameter.

4. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the inflow control device comprises a transition passage connecting the first fluid conducting passage at one end and the second fluid conducting passage at the other end, the one end of the transition passage having substantially the same cross-sectional flow area as that of the first fluid conducting passage and the other end of the transition passage having substantially the same cross-sectional flow area as that of the second fluid conducting passage.

5. The inflow control device of claim 4 , wherein the transition passage extends from the one end to the other end at an angle between 0.5 degrees and 30 degrees relative to the inflow control device's central longitudinal axis.

6. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the first cross-sectional diameter is in the range between 2 mm and 5 mm.

7. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid conducting passage has a length in the range between 7 mm and 10 mm.

8. The inflow control device of claim 1 , comprising a curved entry passage positioned between the inlet and the first fluid conducting passage.

9. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the production conduit is configured for steam assisted gravity drainage operation.

10. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the length of the second fluid conducting passage is between 20X greater and 50X greater than the first cross-sectional diameter.

11. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the length of the second fluid conducting passage is between 10X greater and 20X greater than the first cross-sectional diameter.

12. The inflow control device of claim 1 , wherein the inlet is positioned between the hydrocarbon-containing reservoir and the production conduit and the second fluid conducting passage is positioned between the inlet and the production conduit for establishing a fluid circuit therebetween that is at least partially separate from and substantially parallel to a flow of fluids within the production conduit.

13. A method of producing heavy oil from an oil sands reservoir, comprising:

injecting a fluid into the reservoir such that heavy oil is mobilized, and a reservoir fluid mixture, including heavy oil and water, is generated;

conducting the reservoir fluid mixture through a first fluid conducting passage such that the water of the reservoir fluid mixture is accelerated, resulting in a concomitant pressure decrease sufficient to effect vaporization of at least a fraction of the water, the first fluid conducting passage having a first cross-sectional diameter and the first cross-sectional diameter being substantially constant along the first fluid conducting passage, wherein the first fluid conducting passage is configured to cause a reversible pressure drop within the reservoir fluid mixture conducted therethrough;

conducting the vaporized water through a second fluid conducting passage and to a production conduit,

the second fluid conducting passage having a second cross-sectional diameter, the second cross-sectional diameter being substantially constant along the second fluid conducting passage and greater than the first cross-sectional diameter at a defined ratio, and the second fluid conducting passage having a length that is proportional to the first cross-sectional diameter, wherein the second fluid conducting passage is configured to cause an irreversible pressure drop of the reservoir fluid mixture conducted therethrough and to reduce a mass flow rate of the reservoir fluid mixture prior to fluidly communicating with the production conduit; and

recovering at least the heavy oil from the production conduit.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the defined ratio is 3:1 or 2:1.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the length of the second fluid conducting passage is between 10X greater and 50X greater than the first cross-sectional diameter.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising a step of conducting the reservoir fluid from the first fluid conducting passage adjacent one end of a transition passage and the second fluid conducting passage adjacent the other end, the one end of the transition passage having substantially the same cross-sectional flow area as that of the first fluid conducting passage and the other end of the transition passage having substantially the same cross-sectional flow area as that of the second fluid conducting passage.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the transition passage extends from the one end to the other end at an angle between 0.5 degrees and 30 degrees relative to the first fluid conducting passage's central longitudinal axis.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the first cross-sectional diameter is in the range between 2 mm and 5 mm.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the first fluid conducting passage has a length in the range between 7 mm and 10 mm.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the method is used in steam assisted gravity drainage operations.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the length of the second fluid conducting passage is between 20X greater and 50X greater than the first cross-sectional diameter.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the length of the second fluid conducting passage is between 10X greater and 20X greater than the first cross-sectional diameter.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first fluid conducting passage and the second fluid conducting passage establish a fluid circuit that is at least partially separate from and substantially parallel to a flow of fluids within the production conduit.