Process to produce light products and fuel oils for conventional use from heavy metal- and sulfur-rich crude oil residues

In a two stage process for producing light oil products and conventionally usable fuel oils by the thermal conversion of heavy metal and sulfur-rich crude oil residues, the improvement comprising thermally cracking the residues in a first and a second cracking stage, wherein the residue remaining in the first cracking stage after separation of conversion products is employed as feed to the second cracking stage and the first cracking stage operates at a pressure of about 1 MPa and a temperature of about 425.degree. C. and the second cracking stage operates at a pressure of about 0.1 MPa and a temperature of about 25.degree. C. lower than that of the first stage and with 15 wt. % steam injection in said second stage, said steam wt. % being based on the feed to the second stage, the retention time in the first cracking stage being about 20 minutes and the retention time in the second cracking stage being about three times that of the first cracking stage.