The invention relates to a method for a high temperature short-time distillation of residual oil. The method according to the invention is characterized by a technically simple recovery of a small residual fraction from a gas and/or oil vapour mixture produced by a mixing apparatus (1). Said small residual fraction contains large quantities of undesirable polluting catalytic substances (CCR, Ni, V, asphaltenes). For this purpose, the gas and/or oil vapour mixture produced by the mixing apparatus (1) is diluted with gas or water vapour in a column (17) at a temperature of 450.degree. C. in such a way that a high boiling fraction, which has a high content of the pollutant substances and whose initial boiling point is higher than 450.degree. C., is condensed and extracted. Another realization of the method consists in introducing a non condensed oil produced in the column (17) into a fractionating column (19), where said oil is decomposed in order to produce a depressurized gas oil fraction having a low content of pollutants and a benzine/gas oil fraction.