Method of refining oil with a solvent

Claim 1

IN THE SOLVENT REFINING OF KEROSENE AND LIGHT GAS OIL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE INITIAL TRUE BOILING POINT OF THE OIL AND THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLVENT BEING LESS THAN ABOUT 75* F. AND WHEREIN THE FEED OIL IS SUBJECTED TO CONTACT IN AN EXTRACTION ZONE WITH A WATER-MISCIBLE ORGANIC SOLVENT LIQUID, EXTRACT AND RAFFINATE PHASES ARE FORMED, SAID PHASES SEPARATELY REMOVED FROM THE EXTRACTION ZONE, EACH OF SAID PHASE COMPRISING OIL AND SOLVENT AND THE REMOVED PHASE SEPARATELY TREATED TO RECOVER SOLVENT FROM THE OIL FOR RE-USE IN THE EXTRACTION ZONE, THE METHOD OF TREATING SAID REMOVED PHASES COMPRISING COMMINGLING WITH A REMOVED PHASE AS OBTAINED FROM SAID EXTRACTING ZONE, A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF ADDED OIL BOILING INTERMEDIATE THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF WATER AND THE SOLVENT AND CAPABLE OF TERNARY AZEOTROPE FORMATION THEREWITH, PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE INTO A STEAM DISTILLATION COLUMN, EFFECTING DISTILLATION THEREOF IN THE PRESENCE OF STEAM, THE AMOUNTS OF STEAM AND ADDED OIL BEING SUFFICIENT TO FORM TERNARY WATER-OIL-SOLVENT AZEOTROPES WITH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE SOLVENT PRESENT IN THE REMOVED PHASE PASSING TO THE STEAM DISTILLATION COLUMN, REMOVING RESULTING TERNARY AZEOTROPES AS A DISTILLATE FROM SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN, SAID DISTILLATE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS WATER THAN WHEN THE DISTILLATION IS EFFECTED IN THE ABSENCE OF SAID ADDED OIL, SEPARATELY REMOVING FROM THE DISTILLATION ZONE A RESIDUAL LIQUID OF PRODUCT OIL SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FREE FROM SOLVENT, DISCHARGING SAID RESIDUAL LIQUID, SUBJECTING SAID DISTILLATE TO CONDENSATION, SUBJECTING THE RESULTING CONDENSATE TO SETTLING IN A SETTLING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE ABOUT 70 TO 150* F., FORMING IN SAID SETTLING ZONE OILRICH, WATER-RICH AND SOLVENT-RICH LAYERS, RESPECTIVELY, WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM EACH OF SAID LAYERS, RECYCLING WITHDRAWN WATER-RICH LIQUID AS REFLUX TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN AND RECYCLING WITHDRAWN OIL-RICH LIQUID TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN TO RE-SUPPLY SAID ADDED OIL.