Light hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS COMPRISING PASSING A CRUDE PETROLEUM OIL CONTAINING IMPURITIES REMOVABLE BY CENTRIFUGATION INTO A CENTRIFUGATION ZONE; ALSO SEPARATELY PASSING INTO SAID ZONE A SEPARATE HYDROCARBON STREAM DESCRIBED HEREINAFTER; CENTRIFUGING THE RESULTING CRUDE OIL-HYDROCARBON MIXTURE IN SAID ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 100* F. TO SEPARATE SAID IMPURITIES; WITHDRAWING IMPURITIES FROM SAID ZONE; PASSING REMAINING CRUDE OIL-HYDROCARBON ADMIXTURE FROM SAID ZONE TO A TOPPING ZONE, AND TOPPING SAID CRUDE OIL THEREIN; SEPARATING A GAS OIL FRACTION AND A RESIDUAL TOPPED CRUDE FRACTION IN SAID TOPPING ZONE AND WITHDRAWING EACH SAID FRACTION THEREFROM; PASSING SAID RESIDUAL FRACTION TO A VACUUM REDUCING ZONE AND THEREIN SEPARATING SAME INTO A RESIDUAL ASPHALT AND A GAS OIL FRACTION; PASSING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID GAS OIL FRACTIONS TO A CRACKING ZONE AND THEREIN CRACKING SAME TO PRODUCE CRACKING PRODUCT INCLUDING A LIGHT CYCLE OIL; CYCLING SAID LIGHT CYCLE OIL TO SAID CENTRIFUGATION ZONE AS THE SAID HYDROCARBON FRACTION ADDED THERETO, ABOVE DESCRIBED. WHEREBY THE AMOUNT OF CRUDE OIL CENTRIFUGED PER UNIT TIME IS MARKEDLY INCREASED, AND RECOVERING SAID ASPHALT AS PRODUCT.