Refining of hydrocarbon oils

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REFINING A HYDROCARBON OIL WHICH CONTAINS BOTH AROMATIC AND SULFURE COMPOUNDS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES EXTRACTING SAID OIL IN A FIRST EXTRACTION ZONE WITH AN AROMATIC COMPOUND-LIQUID SO2 SOLVENT AND AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF AN ADDED PROMOTER SELECTED FROM THE CLASS OF FRIEDEL-CRAFTS HALIDES CONSISTING OF BF3, ALC3, FECL3, TICL4, HGCL2, BCL3 AND ZNCL2, AND THE AMOUNT OF LIQUID SO2 BEING SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT FORMATION OF SEPARATE PHASE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE OIL AND PROMOTER WHEREBY A FIRST EXTRACT PHASE WHICH CONTAINS LIQUID SO2, PROMOTER AND PREDOMINANTLY ORGANIC-SULFUR COMPOUNDS AND A FIRST RAFFINATE PHASE ARE OBTAINED, EXTRACTING SAID FIRST RAFFINATE PHASE IN A SECOND EXTRACTION ZONE WITH LIQUID SO2, IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAID PROMOTER, TO OBTAIN A SECOND RAFFINATE PHASE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED IN BOTH AROMATIC AND ORGANIC-SULFUR COMPOUND CONTENT AND A SECOND EXTRACT PHASE WHICH CONTAINS LIQUID SO2, PREDOMINANTLY AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF ORGANIC-SULFUR COMPOUNDS, REMOVING SO2 AND PROMOTER FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND EXTRACT PHASES RESPECTIVELY AND REMOVING SO2 FROM SAID SECOND RAFFINATE PAHSE.