How do heavy oil wells compare with giant conventional oil wells in daily production?

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Heavy oil wells and giant conventional oil wells differ significantly in their daily output. While heavy oil production typically ranges from 5 to 100 barrels per day per well, even when using thermal stimulation, giant conventional oil fields can achieve recoveries on the order of 10,000 barrels per day per well.1

Because heavy oil fields are exploited at much slower rates, a significantly higher number of wells is required to achieve production goals, which contributes to the higher development costs associated with heavy oil and tar sand.1