Process for hydrogenation of aromatic compounds in a feedstock comprising hydrocarbons having at least five carbon atoms, comprising: a) contacting feedstock, a hydrogen gas, and a nickel or platinum hydrogenation catalyst at 100 to 400° C., 0.5 to 8 MPa, and a feedstock flow rate 0.5 to 5 h.sup.−1, as to produce a partially-hydrogenated hydrocarbon feedstock and gas; and b) contacting the partially-hydrogenated feedstock, and a nickel or platinum hydrogenation catalyst at 100 and 400° C., a pressure of between 0.5 and 8 MPa, with a flow rate of the partially-hydrogenated feedstock between 0.3 and 8 h.sup.−1, a ratio between the volume of hydrogen and the volume of the partially-hydrogenated feedstock between 0.3 and 3 Nm.sup.3/m.sup.3, and a ratio between the superficial mass flow rate of the partially-hydrogenated feedstock and the superficial mass flow rate of gas (Ul/Ug) at the inlet of the reactor between 50 and 500.

Integrated processes for upgrading crude shale-derived oils, such as those produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or combinations thereof. Processes disclosed provide for a split-flow processing scheme to upgrade whole shale oil. The split flow concepts described herein, i.e., naphtha and kerosene hydrotreating in one or more stages and gas oil hydrotreating in one or more stages, requires additional equipment as compared to the alternative approach of whole oil hydrotreating. While contrary to conventional wisdom as requiring more capital equipment to achieve the same final product specifications, the operating efficiency vis a vis on-stream time efficiency and product quality resulting from the split flow concept far exceed in value the somewhat incrementally higher capital expenditure costs.

Integrated processes for upgrading crude shale-derived oils, such as those produced by oil shale retorting or by in situ extraction or combinations thereof. Processes disclosed provide for a split-flow processing scheme to upgrade whole shale oil. The split flow concepts described herein, i.e., naphtha and kerosene hydrotreating in one or more stages and gas oil hydrotreating in one or more stages, requires additional equipment as compared to the alternative approach of whole oil hydrotreating. While contrary to conventional wisdom as requiring more capital equipment to achieve the same final product specifications, the operating efficiency vis a vis on-stream time efficiency and product quality resulting from the split flow concept far exceed in value the somewhat incrementally higher capital expenditure costs.

Systems and methods are provided for hydroprocessing a petroleum fraction, such as a bottoms fraction from a fuels hydrocracking process, to generate a lubricant base oil. The aromatic content of such a petroleum fraction can be reduced using a aromatic saturation stage with multiple catalyst beds, or alternatively using a reactor (or reactors) with multiple aromatic saturation stages. The catalysts in the various beds or stages can be selected to provide different types of aromatic saturation activity. An initial bed or stage can provide activity for saturation of 1-ring aromatics in the petroleum fraction. One or more subsequent beds or stages, operating at successively lower temperature, can then be used to reduce the multiple-ring aromatic content of the petroleum fraction.

Systems and methods are provided for hydroprocessing a petroleum fraction, such as a bottoms fraction from a fuels hydrocracking process, to generate a lubricant base oil. The aromatic content of such a petroleum fraction can be reduced using a aromatic saturation stage with multiple catalyst beds, or alternatively using a reactor (or reactors) with multiple aromatic saturation stages. The catalysts in the various beds or stages can be selected to provide different types of aromatic saturation activity. An initial bed or stage can provide activity for saturation of 1-ring aromatics in the petroleum fraction. One or more subsequent beds or stages, operating at successively lower temperature, can then be used to reduce the multiple-ring aromatic content of the petroleum fraction.

A method for producing aromatic compounds from pyrolysis oil comprises: upgrading the pyrolysis oil to pyrolysis gasoline in a multi-stage reactor comprising a slurry-phase reactor and a fixed-bed reactor, wherein the slurry-phase reactor comprises a mixed metal oxide catalyst, and the fixed-bed reactor comprises a mesoporous zeolite-supported metal catalyst; aromatizing the pyrolysis gasoline in an aromatization unit; hydrodealkylating and transalkylating a product from the aromatization unit in a hydrodealkylation-transalkylation unit, thereby producing an aromatic stream; and processing the aromatic stream in an aromatics recovery complex to produce the aromatic compounds comprising benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX).

A method for producing aromatic compounds from pyrolysis oil comprises: upgrading the pyrolysis oil to pyrolysis gasoline in a multi-stage reactor comprising a slurry-phase reactor and a fixed-bed reactor, wherein the slurry-phase reactor comprises a mixed metal oxide catalyst, and the fixed-bed reactor comprises a mesoporous zeolite-supported metal catalyst; aromatizing the pyrolysis gasoline in an aromatization unit; hydrodealkylating and transalkylating a product from the aromatization unit in a hydrodealkylation-transalkylation unit, thereby producing an aromatic stream; and processing the aromatic stream in an aromatics recovery complex to produce the aromatic compounds comprising benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX).

The invention is a process for producing a white oil having an initial boiling point of at least 250° C., the process comprising a step of catalytically hydrogenating a base oil feedstock at a temperature of from 120 to 210° C., at a pressure of from 30 to 160 bars and a liquid hourly space velocity of 0.2 to 5 hr.sup.−1, the base oil feedstock comprising less than 5 ppm by weight of sulphur.

The invention is a process for producing a white oil having an initial boiling point of at least 250° C., the process comprising a step of catalytically hydrogenating a base oil feedstock at a temperature of from 120 to 210° C., at a pressure of from 30 to 160 bars and a liquid hourly space velocity of 0.2 to 5 hr.sup.−1, the base oil feedstock comprising less than 5 ppm by weight of sulphur.

A hydrofinishing catalyst according to the present invention includes an amorphous silica-alumina support; and a hydrogenated active metal supported on the support, and has an Al composition having a total mass (wt %) of Al and Si as a denominator and a mass (wt %) of Al as a numerator with respect to a reference line, which is a straight line passing through the center of a cross-section of the support, locations evenly spaced apart along the reference line are sequentially numbered, where composition uniformity, which is defined as UN by the Al composition at the i-th location and an average Al composition at the cross-section of the support passing through the center of the support, is 3.0 or less.