Method and apparatus for recovering fractions from hydrocarbon materials, facilitating the removal and cleansing of hydrocarbon fluids, insulating storage vessels, and cleansing storage vessels and pipelines

A method of recovering oil from a contained high viscosity hydrocarbon fluid including oil, water and basic sediment, comprising the steps of:

• generating electromagnetic energy in the frequency range of from about 300 megahertz to about 300 gigahertz;
• broadcasting the generated electromagnetic energy to a deflector, the deflector deflecting the electromagnetic energy towards a plurality of locations within the hydrocarbon fluid;
• sensing the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid at a plurality of selected locations by means of a plurality of temperature sensors;
• moving the deflector and deflecting the electromagnetic energy and varying the locations in the hydrocarbon fluid to which the electromagnetic energy is deflected as a function of the temperature sensed at the plurality of locations to control the temperature of the various layers within the hydrocarbon fluid to prevent any water present from reaching its boiling point;
• continuously generating the electromagnetic energy while selectively changing the locations of the deflector relative to the hydrocarbon fluid in response to the temperature sensed by the sensors to concentrate the electromagnetic energy in different locations of the hydrocarbon material as a function of the sensed temperature at the plurality of locations;
• and
• removing the separated oil from the hydrocarbon fluid after sufficient time has elapsed after exposure of the hydrocarbon fluid to the electromagnetic energy to allow the water, any sulfur present and basic sediment to separate from the oil.