side 34 having output 36 in a serpentine manner heater treater 12 may be of any type currently in use in the art having a gas powered heater not shown for raising the temperature level of a heavy oil water emulsion such as that produced in secondary and tertiary oil recovery methods normally heater treater 12 will have a gas powered flame heating the heavy oil water emulsion prior to emulsion being placed in a settling portion of the heater treater having a variety of filters used to urge coalescence of water suspended in the heavy oil water emulsion referring now to fig2 a partially cut away isometric view of pretreater 16 is illustrated as having three levels of conduit 30 weaving back and forth from end 32 to end 34 starting at inlet 22 of end 32 and ending at outlet 36 at end 34 the portions of conduit 30 are illustrated as having heat conducting fins throughout to assure substantial heat transfer between the input exhaust gas and conduit 30 intake 18 is illustrated as a y having an emergency exhaust arm 38 which is normally closed and intake section 40 which is normally open arm 38 is normally closed by a movable vent which may be rotated to block off arm 40 in the event.