A solvent deasphalting of crude oil or petroleum heavy fractions and
residues is carried out in the presence of a solid adsorbent, such as
clay, silica, alumina and activated carbon, which adsorbs the
contaminants and permits the solvent and oil fraction to be removed as a
separate stream from which the solvent is recovered for recycling; the
adsorbent with contaminants and the asphalt bottoms is mixed with
aromatic and/or polar solvents to desorb the contaminants and washed as
necessary, e.g., with benzene, toluene, xylenes and tetrahydrofuran, to
clean adsorbant which is recovered and recycled; the solvent-asphalt
mixture is sent to a fractionator for recovery and recycling of the
aromatic or polar solvent. The bottoms from the fractionator include the
concentrated PNA and contaminants and are further processes as
appropriate.