Process for the production of heavy heating oils having low sulfur contents

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING HEAVY HEATING OILS HAVING LOW SULFUR CONTENTS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (1) SUBJECTING AN OIL RESIDUE DERIVED FROM A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PETROLEUM, OIL SHALE, COAL TAR, BROWN COAL TAR, GENERATOR TAR, AND MIXTURES THEREOF (A) TO A SEPARATION TREATMENT IN WHICH SAID RESIDUE (A) IS SEPARATED INTO AN ASPHALT AND ASH RICH PHASE (C) AND AN ASPHALT AND ASH POOR HEAVY OIL PHASE (B); (2) SUBJECTING THE ASPHALT AND ASH POOR HEAVY OIL PHASE (B) TO A DESULFURIZATION TREATMENT TO OBTAIN A DESULFURIZED HEAVY OIL PHASE (E); AND (3) THEREAFTER ADMIXING THE ASPHALT AND ASH RICH PHASE (C) WITH THE DESULFURIZED HEAVY OIL PHASE (E) IN SUCH QUANTITY RELATIVE TO SAID DESULFURIZED HEAVY OIL PHASE (E) THAT A HEAVY HEATING OIL HAVING A LOW SULFUR CONTENT NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 2% IS FORMED.