Combined process for metal removal and hydrocracking of high boiling oils

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF REDUCED CRUDE PETROLEUM TO LOWER BOILING VALUABLE PRODUCTS, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS: (1) DISTILLING, UNDER VACUUM, REDUCED CRUDE PETROLEUM CONTAINING HEAVY METAL CONTAMINANTS AND SODIUM TO OBTAIN A HEAVY VACUUM GAS OIL AND A RESIDUUM CONTAINING METAL CONTAMINANTS INCLUDING MORE THAN 16 P.P.M. OF SODIUM; (2) SOLVENT TREATING RESIDUUM, OBTAINED IN STEP (1), IN A DEASPHALTING RESIDUAL ZONE TO OBTAIN DEASPHALTED OIL OF REDUCED METAL CONTENT BUT CONTAINING MORE THAN 2 P.P.M. SODIUM; (3) CATALYTICALLY HYDROGENATING DEASPHALTED RESIDUAL OIL, OBTAINED IN STEP (2), BY CONTACTING WITH HYDROGEN IN A HYDROGENATION ZONE CONTAINING A SULFUR-RESISTANT HYDROGENATION CATALYST AT 350-800*F. AND 200-3000 P.S.I.G., TO REMOVE METAL CONTAMINANTS INCLUDING SODIUM AND THEREBY OBTAIN DEMETALIZED DEASPHALTED RESIDUAL OIL CONTAINING LESS THAN 2 P.P.M. SODIUM AND LESS THAN 0.5 P.P.M. OF HEAVY METALS OTHER THAN IRON; AND (4) CATALYTICALLY HYDROCRACKING DEMETALIZED DEASPHALTED RESIDUAL OIL, OBTAINED IN STEP (3), BY CONTACTING IN A CATALYTIC HYDROCRACKING ZONE WITH AN ACTIVE ACIDIC HYDROCRACKING CATALYST AT CONDITIONS OF 550-750*F., 500-5000 P.S.I.G., AND 0.2-10 LHSV, IN THE PRESENCE OF 2,000-15,000 STANDARD CUBIC FEET OF HYDROGEN PER BARREL OF OIL.