Lignocellulosic starting materials can be converted into an organic liquefaction product in a hydroliquefaction process by subjecting a mixture of a lignocellulosic starting material, an amorphous and unsupported sulfided nickel-molybdenum catalyst and a co-feed, to not less than a stoichiometric amount of hydrogen, elevated pressure and a temperature within the range of from 270 C. and up to but not including 350 C.

Lignocellulosic starting materials can be converted into an organic liquefaction product in a hydroliquefaction process by subjecting a mixture of a lignocellulosic starting material, an amorphous and unsupported sulfided nickel-molybdenum catalyst and a co-feed, to not less than a stoichiometric amount of hydrogen, elevated pressure and a temperature within the range of from 270 C. and up to but not including 350 C.

System for mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil using a high boiling hydrocarbon diluent to form a diluted precursor mixture, which is mixed with the heavy oil to form a conditioned feedstock, which is heated to decompose the precursor and form dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ. The high boiling hydrocarbon diluent is at a temperature above the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor and is first fed through a cooler and/or mixed with a cooler diluent to reduce its temperature and avoid premature decomposition of the catalyst precursor. The high boiling hydrocarbon diluent may include a portion of the heavy oil feedstock, a portion of the conditioned feedstock, a vacuum tower bottoms product, or other high boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point higher than 524 C. A portion of the diluent may optionally include a medium boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point less than 524 C.

The present invention relates to a slurry hydroconversion process of a heavy oil feedstock comprising: (a) preparing a first conditioned feedstock (103) by blending said heavy oil feedstock (101) with an organic chemical compound (102) comprising at least one carboxylic acid function and/or at least one ester function and/or an acid anhydride function; (b) preparing a second conditioned feedstock (105) by mixing a catalyst precursor composition (104) with said first conditioned feedstock so that a colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed when it reacts with sulfur; (c) heating the second conditioned feedstock in at least one preheating device; (d) introducing the heated second conditioned feedstock (106) into at least one slurry bed reactor and operating said slurry bed reactor in the presence of hydrogen and at hydroconversion conditions to produce an upgraded material (107), the colloidal or molecular catalyst being formed during step (c) and/or (d).

The present invention relates to a slurry hydroconversion process of a heavy oil feedstock comprising: (a) preparing a first conditioned feedstock (103) by blending said heavy oil feedstock (101) with an organic chemical compound (102) comprising at least one carboxylic acid function and/or at least one ester function and/or an acid anhydride function; (b) preparing a second conditioned feedstock (105) by mixing a catalyst precursor composition (104) with said first conditioned feedstock so that a colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed when it reacts with sulfur; (c) heating the second conditioned feedstock in at least one preheating device; (d) introducing the heated second conditioned feedstock (106) into at least one slurry bed reactor and operating said slurry bed reactor in the presence of hydrogen and at hydroconversion conditions to produce an upgraded material (107), the colloidal or molecular catalyst being formed during step (c) and/or (d).