Abstract: An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oils, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a confined hydrocracking zone under upflow liquid conditions, and the effluent emerging from the top of the hydrocracking zone is passed into a hot separator where it is separated into a gaseous stream containing hydrogen and vaporous hydrocarbons and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. The hot separator is maintained near the temperature of the hydrocracking zone and the effluent from the hydrocracking zone enters the separator in a lower region below the liquid level in the separator.

Abstract: A process is described for producing metallurgical coke from poor coking coals in which there is combined with the poor coking coals a small amount of an additive consisting of a bitumen residue obtained from hydrocracking of bitumen from tar sands. The residue used is that from vacuum distillation of a heavy hydrocarbon bottoms material obtained from hydrocracking of the bitumen. A high boiling organic residue from vacuum distillation to an equivalent atmospheric boiling temperature of 524.degree. C. is preferred. The novel additive is superior in its ability to penetrate into cavities and provide excellent bonding of the components of the coal.

Abstract: An improved process is described for the hydrocracking of heavy hydrocarbon oil, such as oils extracted from tar sands. The charge oil in the presence of an excess of hydrogen is passed through a tubular hydrocracking zone, and the effluent emerging from the top of the zone is separated into a gaseous stream containing a wide boiling range material and a liquid stream containing heavy hydrocarbons. According to the novel feature, the charge oil is in the form of a slurry together with an iron-coal catalyst. The presence of this catalyst in the charge oil serves to greatly reduce coke precursors, such as benzene and pentane insolubles, and thereby prevent the formation of carbonaceous deposits in the reaction zone.