Treatment of hydrocarbons with iodine and/or hydrogen iodide followed by hydrogenation

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR UPGRADING A HYDROCARBON OIL CONTAINING SULFUR, NITROGEN, AND HEAVY METAL CONTAMINANT, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID OIL AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 500 AND ABOUT 850* F. AND A PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT 100 AND 3000 P.S.I.G. WITH A REAGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IODINE, HYDRIOD ACID, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, EFFECTING PHASE SEPARATION OF THE RESULTING GASEOUS, LIQUID AND TARRY PRODUCTS, FRACTIONATING SAID LIQUID PRODUCT TO YIELD GASOLINE, GAS OIL, AN A RESIDUUM, CONTACTING SAID RESIDUUM WITH HYDROGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TARRY PRODUCT AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 750* F. AND ABOUT 100*F. AND A PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT 200 AND ABOUT 300 P.S.I.G., EFFECTING PHASE SEPARTION OF THE PRODUCTS OF SUCH TREATMENT INTO A GAS AND LIQUID, FRACTIONATING SAID LATTER LIQUID TO YIELD GASOLINE, GAS OIL, AND A SECOND RESIDUUM, AND RECYCLING SAID SECOND OF FURTHER TREATMENT WITH HYDROGEN AS AFORESAID.