Due to high freezing point, high viscosity and density of heavy oil, it is difficult to conduct thermal recovery and surface gathering and transportation. Domestic heavy oil thermal recovery and surface gathering and transportation process is relative backward due to its high energy consumption and low multipurpose utilization rate of thermal energy. With continuous enlargement of viscous crude oil field development scale in China, problems existing in traditional gathering and transportation technologies become increasingly obvious. Especially for heavy oil blocks with low production and high water cut, new techniques and technologies shall be developed and applied speedily so as to improve surface thermal recovery. Analyzed are characteristics of heavy oil in domestic heavy oil blocks and proposed are some specific new techniques and technologies for heavy oil gathering and transportation process improvement.