Hydrocarbon treatment process

Claim 1

IN THE SOLVENT REFINING OF A FEED HYDROCARBON OIL CONTAINING AT LEAST A SMALL PORTION OF CONSTITUENTS COBOILING WITH A LIQUID SOLVENT WHEREIN SAID FEED HYDROCARBON IS CONTACTED WITH SAID SOLVENT IN A LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION ZONE FORMING SEPARATE PRIMARY EXTRACT AND RAFFINATE PHASES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES VAPORIZING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PRIMARY EXTRACT PHASE FORMING A VAPOR COMPRISING SOLVENT AND CO-BOILONG HYDROCARBON OIL, CONTACTING SAID VAPOR WITH LIQUID COMPRISING A RELATIVELY HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON OIL CONSISTING OF A REALTIVELY HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON OIL CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBINS HAVING TRUE BOILING POINTS AT LEAST 100*F. ABOVE THE BOIL RANGE OF SAID SOLVENT IN A VAPOR-LIQUID EXTRACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING SOLVENT VAPORS FREE OF COBOILING HYDROCARBONS AS OVERHEAD VAPOR FROM SAID VAPORLIQUID EXTRACTION ZONE, CONDENSING SAID OVERHEAD VAPOR FORMING A PURIFIED SOLVENT STEAM FOR RECYCLE TO SAID SOLVENT REFINING STEP, AND WITHDRAWING SECONDARY EXTRACT COMPRISING SAID RELATIVELY HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON OIL AND SAID CO-BOILING HYDROCARBON OIL FROM SAID VAPORLIQUID EXTRACTION ZONE.