The invention relates to a 
hydrocarbon oil demetalization agent and a method for 
hydrocarbon oil demetalization. The 
hydrocarbon oil demetalization agent is a 
keto acid, wherein the 
keto acid is any of alpha-
keto acid, beta-keto acid and gamma-keto acid, and the alpha-keto acid is one of 
pyruvic acid, 2-ketobutyric acid, 
phenylpyruvic acid and benzoyl 
formic acid; the beta-keto acid is 
acetoacetic acid; and the gamma-keto acid is 4-ketovaleric acid. The method comprises the steps of carrying out mixed contact on hydrocarbon oil, water, the keto acid, which serves as the demetalization agent, and a 
demulsifier, and then, carrying out electric desalting, so as to achieve oil-water separation and remove metals from the hydrocarbon oil. A molecule of the demetalization agent disclosed by the invention contains a difunctional group, can be in 
chelation with the metals and can also be in complexation with the metals, so that the demetalization agent has a high removal ratio to the metals in the hydrocarbon oil; according to the demetalization agent, the acidity is between the acidity of organic acids and the acidity of 
inorganic acids, the corrosiveness is lower than that of the 
inorganic acids, and the demetalization rate is higher than that of the organic acids; and meanwhile, the demetalization agent is free of elements such as 
phosphorus, 
sulfur and 
nitrogen and thus cannot cause adverse effects on subsequent 
processing.