Preparation of feed material for the conversion of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH QUALITY FEED FOR CATALYTIC CRACKING FROM RESIDUAL STOCKS WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING A PETROLEUM CRUDE OIL TO DISTILLATION AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO SEPARATE LIGHT CONSTITUENTS AND A GAS OIL FRACTION BOILING FROM ABOUT 430* F. TO 800-900* F. FORMING HIGHER BOILING VIRGIN RESIDUAL STOCK CONSTITUTING ABOUT 20-30% OF THE ORIGINAL PETROLEUM CRUDEOIL, PASSING SAID VIRGIN RESIDUAL STOCK TO A PRIMARY STRIPPING ZONE MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN ORDER TO REMOVE FURTHER QUANTITIES OF VIRGIN GAS OIL THEREFROM SUBJECTING THE STRIPPED VIRGIN RESIDUAL STOCK TO VISBREAKING, SUBJECTING THE REACTION PRODUCT FROM THE VISBREAKING STEP TO ATMOSPHERIC DISTILLATION TO SEPARATE VISBREAKER GAS AND GASOLINE FROM VISBREAKER RESIDUE, PASSING THE VSIBREAKER RESIDUE TO A SEPARATE COMPARTMENT OF THE PRIMARY STRIPPING ZONE IN ORDER TO STRIP VISBREAKER GAS OIL FROM THE VISBREAKER RESIDUE, COMBINING THE VISBREAKER GAS OIL WITH THE GAS OIL STRIPPED FROM SAID VIRGIN RESIDUAL STOCK, RECYCLING A PART OF THE STRIPPED VISBREAKER RESIDUE TO THE VISBREAKING STEP, AND REMOVING A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF THE STRIPPED VISBREAKER RESIDUE FROM A SYSTEM TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE ACCUMULATION OF ASH AND CARBON RESIDUES THEREIN.