1. A PROCESS FOR REMOVING THE ASPHALTIC PORTION FROM A MIXTURE OF WATER AND SOLID PARTICLES OF ASPHALTIC MATERIAL, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING MAINTAINIG SAID MIXTURE UNDER ELEVATED PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID WATER IN A LIQUID STATE WHILE HEATING SAID MIXTURE TO AT LEAST 225*F., THE TEMPERATURES OF ALL HEAT EXCHANGE SURFACES COMING IN CONTACT WITH SAID MIXTURE BEING MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE ASPHALTIC MATERIAL DURING SAID HEATING STEP; PASSING HOT NAPHTHA INTO SAID HEATED MIXTURE IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISSOLVE THE ASPHALTIC MATERIAL PRESENT; SEPARATING THE RESULTING NAPHTHA-ASPHALT PHASE FROM THE REMAINING AQUEOUS PHASE; ADMIXING SAID NAPHTHA-ASPHALT PHASE WITH A HOT, HEAVY HYDROCARBON OIL BOILING ABOVE THE END POINT OF THE NAPHTHA; AND PASSING THE RESULTING OIL-NAPTHTAASPHALTIC SYSTEM INTO A VAPORIZATION ZONE AT A TEMPEATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE ASPHALTIC COMPONENT AND ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE NAPHTHA PRESENT WHEREBY SAID NAPHTHA IS FLASHED OVERHEAD AND A LIQUID STREAM COMPRISED OF SAID HEAVY OIL AND MOLTEN ASPHALTIC MATERIAL IS RECOVERED AS BOTTOMS.