Process and apparatus for two-stage deasphalting

An apparatus for solvent deasphalting comprising:

• a first extraction column having a first heavy feed inlet and a first solvent inlet, a first deasphalted oil line extending from an overhead of the first extraction column and a first extraction line extending from a bottom of said first extraction column;
• a second extraction column having a second solvent inlet and a first asphalted feed inlet in downstream communication with a first pitch line and a second deasphalted oil line extending from an overhead of the second extraction column and a second extraction line extending from a bottom of the second extraction column;
• and
• a dryer in downstream communication with a second pitch line at an inlet end and having a solids outlet at an opposite end and a heated solvent outlet extending from a top of the dryer.

A process for extracting lighter hydrocarbons from heavier hydrocarbons comprising:

• deasphalting a heavy hydrocarbon feed stream with a first solvent to extract a first deasphalted oil stream containing a greater concentration of aliphatic compounds than in the feed stream and provide a first pitch stream containing a greater concentration of aromatic compounds than in the feed stream;
• stripping said first pitch stream with an inert gas to separate a first solvent recovery stream from said first pitch stream to provide a first solvent-lean pitch stream;
• deasphalting said first solvent-lean pitch stream with a second solvent to extract a second deasphalted oil stream containing a greater concentration of aliphatic compounds than in the first solvent-lean pitch stream and provide a second pitch stream containing a greater concentration of aromatic compounds than in the stripped first pitch stream;
• heating the second pitch stream to drive off a heated second solvent stream from the second pitch product;
• and
• separating said second deasphalted oil stream into a second separated solvent stream and a second separated deasphalted oil stream.