Process for producing high quality fuels from crude residua

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A PETROLEUM FUEL WHICH COMPRISES DISTILLING A CRUDE OIL UNDER CONDITIONS YIELDING A RELATIVELY HIGH BOILING RESIDUAL FRACTION, SEPARATING SAID RESIDUAL FRACTION INTO A FIRST PORTION AND A SECOND PORTION, SUBJECTING SAID FIRST PORTION TO A COKING OPERATION AT PRESSURES OF FROM 2 TO 100 P.S.I.G. AND AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 900 TO 4050* F. TO FORM COKING PRODUCTS, INCLUDING A HEAVY AROMATIC FRACTION SEGREGATING SAID HEAVY AROMATIC FRACTION FROM THE COKING PRODUCTS, INTRODUCING SAID HEAVY AROMATIC FRACTION AS A WASH OIL INTO THE TOP OF A DEASPHALTING ZONE, INTRODUCING SAID SECOND PORTION INTO AN INTERMEDIATE POINT OF SAID DEASPHALTING ZONE, INTRODUCING A DEASPHALTING SOLVENT INTO THE LOWER AREA OF SAID DEASPHALTING ZONE, SEGREGATING A DEASPHALTED OIL AND SUBJECTING SAID DEASPHALTED OIL TO A CATALYTIC CRACKING OPERATION AND THEREAFTER RECOVERING A HIGH QUALITY FUEL FROM THE CRACKED PRODUCTS.