Hydrodesulfurization of heavy oils

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF DESULFURIZING AND UPGRADING A SULFURAND ASH-CONTAINING HEAVY PETROLEUM FRACTION BOILING ABOVE ABOUT 1050* F. WHICH CONSISTS OF PREHEATING SAID FRACTION TO ABOUT 700* TO 900* F., PASSING SAID FRACTION TO A HEAT SOAKING ZONE, MAINTAINING A RESIDENCE TIME WITHIN SAID ZONE OF ABOUT 0.5 TO 5 HOURS SUFFICIENT TO COAGULATE AND PRECIPITATE THERMALLY IN THE ABSCENCE OF ADDED HYROGEN, DISSOLVED METALLO-ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND FINELYDIVIDED ASH SOLIDS AND THERMALLY UNSTABLE HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT CONSTITUENTS, MAINTAINING SAID FRACTION SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LIQUID PHASE WITHIN SAID SOAKING ZONE UNDER A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 100 TO 100 P.S.I.G., PASSING SAID THERMALLY TREATED LIQUID MATERIAL CONTAINING IN SUSPENSION COAGULATED AND PRECIPITATED SOLIDS TO A HYDROGENATION ZONE, MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 600* TO 1000* F. WITHIN SAID ZONE, MAINTAINING A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 100 TO 1000 P.S.I.G. WITHIN SAID ZONE, PASSING TO SAID ZONE A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS AND 1 TO 50 POUNDS OF A HYDROGENATION CATALYST PER BARREL OF SAID THERMALLY TREATED LIQUID MATERIAL, COOLING LIQUID EFFLUENT FROM SAID HYDROGENATION ZONE, PASSING PRODUCT TO A HOT FILTRATION ZONE AND RECOVERING AN UPGRADED LIQUID PETROLEUM FRACTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED SULFUR AND ASH CONTENT.