The conversions of sulfur-rich asphaltite (the gross-formula CH1.23N0.017S0.037O0.01) in supercritical water (SCW) flow at 400 degrees C, 30 MPa without and with addition of aluminum and zinc shavings to asphaltite have been studied. At SCW conversion of asphaltite without addition of metals the yields of volatile and liquid products were found to be equal to 10.3 and 46.0%, respectively. The amount of oil in the liquid product was by 1.6 times higher than that in raw asphaltite. Hydrogen evolution during the oxidation of (Al) and (Zn) by supercritical water provided for the hydrogenation of asphaltite in situ. When (Al) and (Zn) were added, the portion of the insoluble conversion residue decreased from 44.5 up to 11.3 and 26.3%, respectively. The degree and efficiency of asphaltite hydrogenation with addition of (Al) were higher than the ones with addition of (Zn). The amount of O-containing substances in the products and the conversion residue was found to have increased as compared with raw asphaltite. At conversion without addition of metals, the bulk of oxygen was mainly concentrated in the conversion residue, while with addition of (Al) and (Zn) it was detected in the composition of CO and CO2. According to the GC-MS, IR and NMR H-1 spectroscopy data, addition of metals to asphaltite resulted in decrease in the content of sulfoxides and carbonyl-containing substances and in increase in the content of polyaromatic substances in the liquid products. When (Al) was added to asphaltite, more than 70% of sulfur passed into H2S and when (Zn) was added, more than 60% of sulfur passed into ZnS. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.