A reformer system (11) having a hydrodesulfurizer (12) provides desulfurized natural gas feedstock to a catalytic steam reformer (16), the outflow of which is treated by a water gas shift reactor (20) and optionally a preferential CO oxidizer (58) to provide reformate gas (28, 28a) having high hydrogen and moderate carbon dioxide content. To avoid damage to the hydrodesulfurizer from overheating, any deleterious hydrogen reactants, such as the oxygen in peak shave gas or olefins, in the non-desulfurized natural gas feedstock (35) are reacted (38) with hydrogen (28, 28a; 71) to convert them to alkanes (e.g., ethylene and propylene to ethane and propane) and to convert oxygen to water in a catalytic reactor (38) having no sulfide sorbent, and cooled (46), below a temperature which would damage the reactor, by evaporative cooling with pressurized hot water (42). Hydrogen for the desulfurizer and the hydrogen reactions may be provided as recycle reformate (28, 28a) or from a mini-CPO (67), or from other sources.

A reformer system (11) having a hydrodesulfurizer (12) provides desulfurized natural gas feedstock to a catalytic steam reformer (16), the outflow of which is treated by a water gas shift reactor (20) and optionally a preferential CO oxidizer (58) to provide reformate gas (28, 28a) having high hydrogen and moderate carbon dioxide content. To avoid damage to the hydrodesulfurizer from overheating, any deleterious hydrogen reactants, such as the oxygen in peak shave gas or olefins, in the non-desulfurized natural gas feedstock (35) are reacted (38) with hydrogen (28, 28a; 71) to convert them to alkanes (e.g., ethylene and propylene to ethane and propane) and to convert oxygen to water in a catalytic reactor (38) having no sulfide sorbent, and cooled (46), below a temperature which would damage the reactor, by evaporative cooling with pressurized hot water (42). Hydrogen for the desulfurizer and the hydrogen reactions may be provided as recycle reformate (28, 28a) or from a mini-CPO (67), or from other sources.

A process for the treatment of a gasoline containing sulfur compounds and olefins includes the following stages: a) hydrodesulfurization in the presence of a catalyst having an oxide support and an active phase having a metal from group VIB and a metal from group VIII, b) hydrodesulfurization at a higher temperature than that of stage a) and in the presence of a catalyst having an oxide support and an active phase with at least one metal from group VIII, c) separation of H.sub.2S formed, d) hydrodesulfurization at a low hydrogen/feedstock ratio and in the presence of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst having an oxide support and an active phase having a metal from group VIB and a metal from group VIII or an active phase with at least one metal from group VIII, and e) further separation of H.sub.2S formed.

A process for the treatment of a gasoline containing sulfur compounds and olefins includes the following stages: a) hydrodesulfurization in the presence of a catalyst having an oxide support and an active phase having a metal from group VIB and a metal from group VIII, b) hydrodesulfurization at a higher temperature than that of stage a) and in the presence of a catalyst having an oxide support and an active phase with at least one metal from group VIII, c) separation of H.sub.2S formed, d) hydrodesulfurization at a low hydrogen/feedstock ratio and in the presence of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst having an oxide support and an active phase having a metal from group VIB and a metal from group VIII or an active phase with at least one metal from group VIII, and e) further separation of H.sub.2S formed.

Methods are provided for processing a gas oil boiling range feedstock, such as a vacuum gas oil, in a single reaction stage and/or without performing intermediate separations. The methods are suitable for forming lubricants and distillate fuels while reducing or minimizing the production of lower boiling products such as naphtha and light ends. The methods can provide desirable yields of distillate fuels and lubricant base oils without requiring separate catalyst beds or stages for dewaxing and hydrocracking. The methods are based in part on use of a dewaxing catalyst that is tolerant of sour processing environments while still providing desirable levels of activity for both feed conversion and feed isomerization.

In the hydrocarbon oil production method, mixed oil containing atmospheric residue and deasphalted oil is brought into contact with a demetallizing catalyst in the presence of a hydrogen gas, and the mixed oil subjected to the demetallizing process is brought into contact with a desulfurizing catalyst in the presence of a hydrogen gas. The demetallizing catalyst optionally includes a low-reactivity catalyst. A part of a metallic composition contained in the mixed oil is a decomposable metallic composition. The amount of vanadium in the decomposable metallic composition is x % relative to the amount of vanadium in a whole vanadium-containing compound, the volume of the low-reactivity catalyst is y vol % relative to the total demetallizing catalyst:
0<x100, 0<y≦100, and x−50≦y2.6x−99.

In the hydrocarbon oil production method, mixed oil containing atmospheric residue and deasphalted oil is brought into contact with a demetallizing catalyst in the presence of a hydrogen gas, and the mixed oil subjected to the demetallizing process is brought into contact with a desulfurizing catalyst in the presence of a hydrogen gas. The demetallizing catalyst optionally includes a low-reactivity catalyst. A part of a metallic composition contained in the mixed oil is a decomposable metallic composition. The amount of vanadium in the decomposable metallic composition is x % relative to the amount of vanadium in a whole vanadium-containing compound, the volume of the low-reactivity catalyst is y vol % relative to the total demetallizing catalyst:
0<x100, 0<y≦100, and x−50≦y2.6x−99.

A process for reducing sulfur, nitrogen, metals and asphaltene contents, while increasing the yield of distillable fractions in heavy hydrocarbons, by using a cooled light fraction as a liquid quench stream. The light fraction is obtained by splitting heavy hydrocarbons into a heavy fraction, and a light fraction which may be injected at spaced locations along a system of fixed-bed reactors series that comprises a first hydrodemetallization (HDM)/hydrodeasphaltenization (HDAs) step, followed by a second hydrodesulfurization (HDS)/hydrodenitrogenation (HDN)/hydrocracking step. The metal and asphaltene rich heavy fraction have contact with the entire catalyst system, while the light fraction is injected as side feed and quench stream(s) into the second reactor, where it is treated in admixture with the heavy fraction for elimination of the impurities of the light fraction.

A process for reducing sulfur, nitrogen, metals and asphaltene contents, while increasing the yield of distillable fractions in heavy hydrocarbons, by using a cooled light fraction as a liquid quench stream. The light fraction is obtained by splitting heavy hydrocarbons into a heavy fraction, and a light fraction which may be injected at spaced locations along a system of fixed-bed reactors series that comprises a first hydrodemetallization (HDM)/hydrodeasphaltenization (HDAs) step, followed by a second hydrodesulfurization (HDS)/hydrodenitrogenation (HDN)/hydrocracking step. The metal and asphaltene rich heavy fraction have contact with the entire catalyst system, while the light fraction is injected as side feed and quench stream(s) into the second reactor, where it is treated in admixture with the heavy fraction for elimination of the impurities of the light fraction.

A process is presented for the production of high quality kerosene from lower quality feedstocks, including kerosene produced from coker units, or kerosene from cracking units. The process includes hydrotreating the feedstock to remove contaminants in the feedstock. The hydrotreated process stream is then treated in a trim reactor at higher pressure to reduce the bromine index of the kerosene.