To provide a method for efficiently moving high-viscosity residues derived from petroleum refining process.

This method for recovering and moving refinery tar through forming an oil-in-water dispersion thereof comprises the following steps: (a) refinery tar is fluidized by heating it to a temperature not lower than its softening point, (b) the thus fluidized tar is mixed with each desired amount of water and a dispersant to form an oil-in-water dispersion, and (c) the tar in the form of the thus produced oil-in-water dispersion is recovered and moved; wherein the above dispersion contains ≥20 wt.%; of water and the dispersant is selected from respective alkali metal salts and ammonium salt of naphthalenesulfonic acid-formaldehyde condensate and relative mixtures thereof.