Abstract: The intensifying distillation is one of new technologies proposed and developed since 1980s in the field of the petroleum processing.Its theoretical fundamentals are the concepts of petroleum dispersion system and complex structure unit.Adding the activators into the crude oil can adjust the petroleum dispersion system to the active state,and intensify the heat and mass transfer in distillation columns.Therefore,this technology can increase the yield of light distillates in atmospheric and vacuum distillation.In this paper the advances in theory and practice in intensifying distillation of crude oil are briefly reviewed.From the insight into the intensifying distillation,it demonstrates that intensifying the petroleum processing plays an important part nole in increasing profits and enhancing the ability of market competition for the oil refining industry.Moreover,it reveals that the intensification to the distillation processes could bring about a new technique with high efficiency for the separation and purification of substances.