illustrates an artificial lift system als 50 h r d pumping production fluid such as bitumen 8 p aka tar sand or oil sand from a steam assisted gravity drainage sagd well 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention alternatively the production fluid may be heavy crude oil or oil shale the als 50 h r d may include a drive head 50 h a drive string 50 r and a downhole assembly 50 d the sagd well 1 may include an injection well 1 i and a production well 1 p each well 1 i p may include a wellhead 2 i p located adjacent to a surface 4 of the earth and a wellbore 3 i p extending from the respective wellhead each wellbore 3 i p may extend from the surface 4 vertically through a non productive formation 6 d and horizontally through a hydrocarbon bearing formation 6 h aka reservoir alternatively the horizontal portions of either or both wellbores may be other deviations besides horizontal alternatively the injection well may be omitted and the als may be used to pump production fluid from other types of adverse production wells such as high temperature wells surface casings 9 i p may extend from respective wellheads 2 i p into respective wellbores 3 i p and each casing may be sealed therein with cement 11 the production well 1 p may further include an intermediate casing 10 extending from the production wellhead 2 p and into the production wellbore 3 p and sealed therein with cement.