Removal of sodium and vanadium from petroleum hydrocarbons followed by catalytic desulphurisation of said petroleum hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE HYDROCATALYTIC DESULPHURISATION OF A PETROLEUM FEEDSTOCK CONTAINING VANADIUM AND SODIUM AND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CRUDE OILS AND CRUDE OIL RESIDUES, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE FEEDSTOCK IN ADMIXTURE WITH HYDROGEN TO A ZONE WHERE IT IS CONTACTED WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF BAUXITE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 700 AND 850* F. AND A PRESSURE BETWEEN 80 AND 1000P.S.I. G A., WHEREBY A CONSIDERABLE PROPORTION OF THE VANADIUM AND SODIUM CONTAIN IN THE FEEDSTOCK IS RETAINED BY THE BAUXITE, PASSING THE PRODUCTS FROM THE BAUXITE-CONTACTING ZONE TO A HYDROFINING ZONE WHEREIN SAID PRODUCTS ARE CONTACTED AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE WITH A SULPHURIC-RESISTANT HYDROGENATION CATALYST, SEPARATING HYDROGEN SULPHIDE FROM THE PRODUCTS FROM THE HYDROFINING ZONE, AND RECOVERING A PRODUCT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED SULPHUR-CONTENT.