A process for removing asphaltenes from an oil feed, the process comprising the steps of introducing the oil feed to a de-asphalting column, where the oil feed comprises a carbonaceous material and asphaltenes, where the de-asphalting column comprises a heteropolyacid, operating the de-asphalting column at a reaction temperature and a reaction pressure for a residence time such that the heteropolyacid is operable to catalyze an acid catalyzed polymerization reaction of the asphaltenes to produce polymerized asphaltenes, the polymerized asphaltenes precipitate from the carbonaceous material in the oil feed, and withdrawing a de-asphalted oil from the de-asphalting column, where the de-asphalted oil is in the absence of the heteropolyacids, where the de-asphalted oil has a lower concentration of sulfur, a lower concentration of nitrogen, and a lower concentration of metals as compared to the oil feed, where the process for removing asphaltenes is in the absence of added hydrogen gas.