Desulfurization of wide boiling range crudes

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR HYDRODESULFURIZING A WIDE BOILING CRUDE PETROLEUM OIL FEED CONTAINING NAPHTHA, KEROSENE AND DIESEL OIL FRACTIONS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF HEATING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF THE CRUDE OIL FEED TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO FLASH OFF THE DIESEL OIL AND LIGHTER FRACTIONS STREAM; FLASHING THE HEATED FEED AT A PRESSURE BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC AND 30 P.S.I.G.; CONDENSING ALL OF THE RESULTING VAPORS OF THE DIESEL OIL AND LIGHTER FRACTIONS AND COOLING TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 200*F., THEREBY TO FORM A CONTINUOUS WIDE CUT LIQUID FRACTION STREAM CONTAINING THE DIESEL OIL FRACTION AND ALL LIGHTER FRACTIONS OF THE CRUDE OIL; REMOVING UNCONDENSED GASES THEREFROM; PASSING THE WIDE CUT FRACTION AS A CONTINUOUS STREAM THROUGH A PREHEAT ZONE AT A HIGHER PRESSURE BETWEEN 100 AND 1000 P.S.I.G. AND HEATING IT SUFFICIENTLY TO VAPORIZE SAID WIDE CUT FRACTION UNDER THE SAID HIGHER PRESSURE; PASSING SAID VAPORIZED WIDE CUT FRACTION STREAM TOGETHER WITH INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED GASEOUS HYDROGEN DIRECTLY AS A CONTINUOUS STREAM TO A HYDRODESULFURIZING ZONE; HYDRODESULFURIZING THE TOTAL VAPORS OF SAID CONTINOUS WIDE CUT FRACTION STREAM UNDER HYDRODESULFURIZING CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 600*F. AND 700*F. AND AT A PRESSURE BETWEEN 400 P.S.I.G. AND 500 P.S.I.G. AND THEREBY REMOVING SULFUR FROM SAID WIDE CUT FRACTION; THEREAFTER FRACTIONATING THE CUT FRACTION STREAM AT SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PRESSURE TO PRODUCE SEPARATE PRODUCTS OF NARROWER BOILING RANGES.