Dam Joao Field, located at Reconcavo Basin in northeastern Brazil, has been under production for more than 50 years. From the very beginning in 1947, exploitation has been plagued with problems that standard geology and reservoir engineering practices were not able to cope with. With an OOIP of 113 MMm(3) of 38 degrees API paraffinic crude, the current recovery factor stands at only 15%, in spits of the early implementation of waterflooding. Three major reservoir studies by different organizations. Petrobras included, were conducted over the years with significant impact on the geological model and appraisal of the original volumes. together with recommendations as to the variation in the injection and production patterns. They were implemented accordingly but with limited success and, other than the heterogeneity of the reservoirs in the main Sergi Formation, no suitable explanation was found for the poor recovery performance, not to mention a solution to the problem. The size of the target oil and the constant threat of field abandonment, led to the approval of a research project in late 1993 as part of the portfolio of PRAVAP, Petrobras Strategic Advanced Oil Recovery Program. Its goal was twofold: verify the assumption of paraffin precipitation in the reservoir as the cause of the low recovery factor, and eventually put to the test recovery strategies that Mould ensure the economical exploitation of the shallow deposits of paraffinic crude in Reconcavo Basin. This paper summarizes the major accomplishments of this project throughout the 3 1/2 years of research and development and the corresponding IOR field implementations.