Process for upgrading tar

In a process for solvent deasphalting tar wherein tar is contacted with a solvent to yield a fraction comprising deasphalted tar and a fraction comprising heavy tar, the improvement comprising integrating said process with at least one pyrolysis furnace so that:

• (i) at least a portion of the feedstream to said at least one pyrolysis furnace provides the solvent contacting and deasphalting said tar;
• or (ii) said solvent, after separation from said fraction comprising deasphalted tar, provides at least a portion of the feedstream to said at least one pyrolysis furnace;
• or both (i) and (ii) are integrated into said process;
• and further, wherein said fraction comprising deasphalted tar is heated prior to entering a pipestill wherein said fraction comprising deasphalted tar is separated into at least one deasphalted tar stream and a solvent stream, said pipestill being equipped with an annular structure above an inlet where said fraction comprising deasphalted tar enters said pipestill, said annular structure defining a ceiling which blocks upward passage of vapor/liquid mixtures along the circular wall beyond the ceiling section, and surrounds an open core having sufficient cross-sectional area to permit vapor velocity low enough to avoid significant entrainment of liquid, and taking a sidestream from above the annular structure to provide a deasphalted tar product containing from 0 to 100 ppm asphaltenes.