Abstract: The invention is a process for producing hydrocarbons from hydrogen and carbon monoxide by reacting hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a particulate solid catalyst and a substantially inert liquid medium. This reaction takes place in a reactor vessel adapted for the reaction of gases in the presence of a substantially inert liquid medium and a bed of solid particulate catalyst. The hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas are introduced at a plurality of locations within the reactor vessel. Bubbles of gas flow upward through the bed of solid catalyst particles and substantially inert liquid medium at sufficient velocity to expand the bed to a volume greater than its static volume. This velocity creates a turbulent reaction zone wherein liquid, gas, and solid catalyst are present and are in a state of motion.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbons are hydrotreated to increase content of components boiling below 1000.degree. F. by contact with Group VIII non-noble metal oxide and Group VI-B metal oxide on alumina having a Total Surface Area of 150-240 m.sup.2 /g, a Total Pore Volume, (TPV) of 0.7-0.98, and a Pore Diameter Distribution whereby .ltoreq.20% of the TPV is present as primary micropores of diameter .ltoreq.100 .ANG., at least about 34% of TPV is present as secondary micropores of diameter of about 100 .ANG.-200 .ANG., and about 26%-46% of the TPV is present as mesopores of diameter .gtoreq.200 .ANG..

Abstract: An improvement has been discovered in an ebullated bed process. A residual hydrocarbon oil feedstock is hydrocracked to yield a product oil. The amount of sediment in the product oil is controlled by adjusting hydrogen partial pressure according to an algorithm. A change in temperature and residence time is avoided.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbons are hydrotreated to increase content of components boiling below 1000.degree. F. by contact with Group VIII non-noble metal oxide and Group VIB metal oxide on alumina having a Total Surface Area of 175-220 m.sup.2 /g, a Total Pore Volume (TPV) of 0.6-0.8, and a Pore Diameter Distribution whereby .ltoreq.33% of the TPV is present as primary micropores of diameter .ltoreq.100 .ANG., at least about 41% of TPV is present as secondary micropores of diameter of about 100 .ANG.-200 .ANG., and about 16%-26% of the TPV is present as mesopores of diameter .gtoreq.200 .ANG.. Phosphorus containing compounds are avoided during catalyst preparation.

Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbons are hydrotreated to increase content of components boiling below 1000.degree. F. by contact with Group VIII non-noble metal oxide and Group VI-B metal oxide on alumina having a Total Surface Area of 150-240 m.sup.2 /g, a Total Pore Volume, (TPV) of 0.7-0.98, and a Pore Diameter Distribution whereby .ltoreq.20% of the TPV is present as primary micropores of diameter .ltoreq.100 .ANG., at least about 34% of TPV is present as secondary micropores of diameter of about 100 .ANG.-200 .ANG., and about 26%-46% of the TPV is present as mesopores of diameter >200 .ANG..

Abstract: Heavy oils may be hydrotreated in the presence of a porous alumina support bearing metals of Group VIII and VI-B and optionally phosphorus, the catalyst having a Total Surface Area of 165-230 m.sup.2 /g, a Total Pore Volume of 0.5-0.8 cc.g, and a Pore Diameter Distribution whereby less than about 5% the Total Pore Volume is present as primary micropores of diameter less than 80 .ANG., and secondary micropores of diameter of +20 .ANG. of a Pore Mode of 100-135 .ANG. are present in amount of at least about 65% of the micropore volume having pores with diameter less than 250 .ANG., and 22-29% of the Total Pore Volume is present as macropores of diameter >250 .ANG..The process of the instant invention is particularly effective in achieving desired levels of hydrodemetallation, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrocracking of asphaltenes in the fraction of hydrotreated/hydrocracked petroleum resid product having a boiling point greater than 1000.degree. F.

Abstract: Heavy oils may be hydrotreated in the presence of a porous alumina support bearing metals of Group VIII and VI-B and optionally phosphorus, the catalyst having a Total Surface Area of 165-230 m.sup.2 /g, a Total Pore Volume of 0.5-0.8 cc.g, and a Pore Diameter Distribution whereby less than about 5% of the Total Pore Volume is present as primary micropores of diameter less than 80.ANG., and secondary micropores of diameter of .+-.20.ANG. of a Pore Mode of 100-135.ANG. are present in amount of at least about 65% of the micropore volume having pores with diameter less than 250.ANG., and 22-29% of the Total Pore Volume is present as macropores of diameter >250.ANG.. The process of the instant invention is particularly effective in achieving desired levels of hydrodemetallation, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrocracking of asphaltenes in the fraction of hydrotreated/hydrocracked petroleum resid product having a boiling point greater than 1000.degree. F.

Abstract: An improved method of controlling catalyst inventory in the reactor of an ebullated bed process has been discovered. Pressure differentials are measured to calculate a catalyst inventory characterization factor. This factor is calculated by means of a new algorithm. Aged catalyst is withdrawn and fresh catalyst added in an amount to reestablish the value of the factor. The catalyst to oil ratio is maintained despite changes in bed ebullation, gas and liquid holdups, oil residence time and conversion.

Abstract: In an ebullated bed process, it has been found that in switching from one sediment yielding feedstock to a second sediment yielding feedstock that the transient sediment concentration has caused unit shutdowns with lost production. A method has been found which avoids these high transient sediment concentrations. Fresh addition is substituted for regenerated catalyst addition until the average carbon on catalyst in the bed drops to 22 wt% basis carbon free catalyst. Second feedstock is added incrementally and sediment in the product analyzed. After full second feedstock rate is achieved, first feedstock is reduced incrementally with sediment analysis. Higher unit utilization is achieved with the corresponding increased yearly production.

Abstract: In a two stage catalytic cracking process a heavy cycle gas oil fraction (HCGO) nominal boiling range 600.degree. F. to 1050.degree. F., API gravity of -10.degree. to +10.degree. and 65 to 95 vol % aromatics is recycled to extinction between an ebullated bed hydrocracking zone and fluidized catalytic cracking zone to yield a liquid fuel and lighter boiling range fraction as the light fraction from each zone.The catalyst in the fluidized catalytic cracking zone is maintained at a micro activity 68 to 72 while cracking a virgin gas oil to HCGO. HCGO is then mixed with vacuum residuum and hydrocracked in an ebullated bed reactor. The mid range fraction is recycled to the fluidized catalytic cracking zone. The 1000.degree. F..sup.+ fraction is blended with a fuel oil.

Abstract: An improved process for catalytic desulfurization of petroleum residua feedstocks to provide at least about 75% desulfurization of the liquid product while achieving low catalyst deactivation and increased catalyst age. In the process which uses an ebullated catalyst bed reactor, the reaction conditions are usually maintained at 790.degree.-860.degree. F. temperature, 1000-1800 psig hydrogen partial pressure, and 0.2-2.0 Vf/hr/Vr space velocity. To control carbon and metals deposition on the catalyst, used catalyst is withdrawn from the reactor, a minor portion of the catalyst is discarded to control metals deposition and maintain catalyst activity, and the remaining catalyst is regenerated to remove carbon by carbon burnoff and returned to the reactor for further use. If desired, the regenerated catalyst can be presulfided before returning it to the reactor. Following phase separation and distillation steps, the desulfurized hydrocarbon liquid products are withdrawn from the process.

Abstract: A process for high hydroconversion of petroleum residua containing at least about 25 V % material boiling above 975.degree. F. to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid products and avoid undesirable precipitation of asphaltene compounds. In the process, the feedstock is at least about 80 percent catalytically hydroconverted to material boiling below 975.degree. F. and containing a mixture of gas and liquid fractions, after which the gas fraction is removed while maintaining the resulting liquid fractions temperature above about 730.degree. F. to avoid precipitation of asphaltene compounds which causes operations difficulties in the downstream equipment. Alternatively, the pressure-reduced liquid fraction can be stripped of material boiling below about 650.degree. F. before cooling the liquid to a temperature below about 730.degree. F. to prevent such precipitation of asphaltene compounds in the downstream equipment.

Abstract: An improved process for upgrading a coal liquid where the coal liquid is catalytically converted by hydrogenating and hydrocracking. In the process of upgrading a coal liquid where the coal liquid is fed with hydrogen into a catalytic reactor, the improvement comprises the feeding of a sulfur-containing liquid with the coal liquid. The sulfur-containing liquid ranges from about 0.2 to about 2.0 weight percent of the coal liquid feed. The sulfur-containing liquid is a high boiling hydrocarbon sulfur compound of the formula RSR.sub.1, where R is an alkyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms or a phenyl group and R.sub.1 is H, an alkyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms or a phenyl group.

Abstract: A process for the catalytic hydroconversion of special petroleum feedstocks, containing 10-28 W % asphaltenes, and having Ramsbottom carbon residue of 12-35 W %, such as Cold Lake and Lloydminster crude and residua materials. In the process, high percentage conversion (65-80 V %) to lower boiling hydrocarbon products can be achieved by maintaining a narrow range of reaction conditions, preferably in an ebullated bed catalytic reactor. Reaction temperature is 780.degree.-835.degree. F., hydrogen partial pressure is 2000-3000 psig, and space velocity is 0.25-5.0 V.sub.f /hr/V.sub.r. Higher conversion of about 80 to 95 volume percent can be obtained with recycle of 975.degree. F..sup.+ vacuum bottoms fraction to the reactor. Useful catalysts have total pore volume of about 0.5-0.9 cc/gm and include cobalt-molybdenum and nickel-molybdenum on alumina support.

Abstract: In the catalytic demetallization of Venezuelan crude oil feedstocks, the rate of catalyst deactivation is reduced by controlling the level of demetallization at start-up. Operating conditions of pressure, temperature and space velocity are controlled to maintain the initial level of demetallization below 75 percent.

Abstract: In producing low sulfur fuel oil by the ebullated bed hydroconversion of petroleum residue, the resulting heavy vacuum bottoms sulfur-containing residue material is utilized to produce hydrogen. The residue material from the hydroconversion operation is gasified to provide a fuel gas, which is then used to fire a steam-methane reformer. The chemical requirements for hydrogen production are met by feeding a portion of light gaseous products from the hydroconversion step to the catalytic side of the steam-methane reformer. A low sulfur fuel oil distillate product is recovered from the reactor effluent streams and can be further hydrotreated as desired. Thus, all hydrogen required in the H-Oil reactor for hydroconversion and desulfurization is ultimately produced from the residual oil feed material, by using the heavy product residue material to produce a fuel gas and converting the light hydrocarbons to hydrogen.

Abstract: The maximum conversion and desulfurization of residual petroleum oils having a high content of asphaltenes can be attained by first converting a maximum amount of the asphaltenes contained in these feeds by pretreating the feeds with hydrogen under a selected combination of operating conditions. Conditions of temperature between 700.degree. and 800.degree.F, liquid space velocity between 0.1 and 2.0 V.sub.f /hr/V.sub.r and hydrogen partial pressure between 1200 and 3000 psig, result in a maximum conversion of asphaltenes when 5 to 45 volume percent of the 975.degree.F+ fraction in the feedstock is converted to lower boiling fractions.