Combination distillation and hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

IN A COMBINATION CRUDE DISTILLATION AND A CATALYTIC CRACKING PROCESS WHEREIN CRUDE OIL IS DISTILLED TO PRODUCE A DISTILLATE AND A REDUCED CRUDE OIL FRACTION CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF HYDROCARBON CONSITTUENTS BOILING IN GHE GAS OIL BOILING RANGE AND WHEREIN SAID REDUCED CRUDE OIL FRACTION IS PASSED TO A PRODUCT FRACTIONATION ZONE OPERATED AT A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE AND THE REDUCED CRUDE OIL FRACTION IS STRIPPED WITH CRACKED HYDROCARBON VAPORS PRODUCED IN A CATALYTIC CRACKING ZONE TO REMOVE SAID GAS OIL BOILING RANGE HYDROCARBONS AND INCLUDING CONSTITUENTS BOILING IN THE MOTOR FUEL BOILING RANGE AND LIGHTER AND WHEREIN SAID GAS OIL BOILING RANGE HYDROCARBONS ARE SEGRAGATED IN SAID PRODUCT FRACTIONATION ZONE AND REMOVED AND CRACKED IN SAID CATALYTIC CRACKING ZONE OPERATED AT A RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE TO PRODUCE CRACKED HYDROCARBON VAPORS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID CRACKED VAPORS INTO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID PRODUCT FRACTIONATION ZONE FOR STRIPPING SAD REDUCED CRUDE OIL FRACTION IN SAID PRODUCT FRACTION ZONE, PASSING THE REST OF THE CRACKED VAPORS TO A SECOND SEPARATE FRACTIONATING ZONE TO REMOVE HIGHER BOILING CONSTITUENTS BOILING ABOVE ABOUT 650*F. THEREFROM, DISCARDING SAID LAST-MENTIONED HIGHER BOILING CONSTITUENTS FROM THE PROCESS AND PASSING THE LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS BOILING BELOW ABOUT 650*F. FROM THE SECOND FRACTIONATING ZONE TO SAID FIRST MENTIONED PRODUCT FRACTIONATION ZONE.