1. A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING GILSONITE FROM A MIXTURE OF WATER AND PARTICLES OF SOLID GILSONITE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING PASSING THE MIXTURE OT A HEATING ZONE OF THE TUBULAR, HEAT EXCHANGE TYPE AND THERE BRINGING SAID MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST 500*F. WHILE MAINTAINING THE MIXTURE UNDER A PRESSURE GREATER THAN THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF WATER AT THE TEMPEATURE IN THE HEATING ZONE; MAINTAINING SAID PRESSURE WHICL EALLOWING THE RESULTANT MOLTEN GILOSNITE PRODUCT TO FORM A LAYER SEPARATE FROM THE WATER LAYER IN A SETTING ZONE; WITHDRAWING THE MOLTEN GILSONITE LAYER AND THE WATER LAYER SO OBTAINED AS SEPARATE STREAMS FROM THE SETTLING ZONE; AND ADJUSTING THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE MIXTURE PASSING TO THE HEATING ZONE TO A SOLIDS CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO 20% BY RECYCLING TO SAID MIXTURE A PORTIONOF THE HOT WATER LAYER REMOVED FROM THE SETTLING ZONE, SAID RECYCLED WATER PORTION AND THE RESULTANT WATER-GILONITE MIXTURE OF ADJUSTED CONCENTRATION BEING MAINTAINED UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE CONDITIONS AS STHOSE PREVAILING IN THE SETTLING ZONE.