Cracking of residual oils containing asphaltic and metallic contaminants

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONVERTING PETROLEUM WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: REMOVING VOLATILE COMPONENTS THEREFROM, THEREBY PREPARING A RESIDUAL HYDROCARBON FRACTION CONTAINING ALL OF THE ASPHALTIC, METALLIC AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS OCCURRING IN SAID PETROLEUM, SAID FRACTION COMPRISING HYDROCARBON MATERIALS WHICH ARE LIQUID AT 850 * F. CONATACTING SAID RESIDUAL FRACTION AS THE SOLE FRESH HYDROCARBON FEED IN A REACTION ZONE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM 800* F. TO 100* F. WITH A MOVING MASS OF SOLID GRANULAR ADSORPTIVE CRACKING CATALYST HAVING A CRACKING ACTIVITY CORRESPONDING TO AT LEAST 10% GASOLINE BY THE CAT-A METHOD, SAID GRANULAR CATLYST BEING PASSED THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE AT A RATE SUCH THAT THE CATALYST TRAVERSES SAID REACTION ZONE IN NOT LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES, THE WEIGHT OF THE GRANULAR CATALYST IN SAID REACTION ZONE BEING AT LEAST FIVE TIMES THE WEIGHT OF THE HYDROCARBONS IN SAID ZONE; ADDING TO SAID REACTION ZONE AT LEAST 25%, BUT NOT MORE THAN 150% STEAM BY WEIGHT OF SAID FRESH HYDROCARBON FEED; AND WITHDRAWING VOLATILE CRACKED PRODUCTS COMPRISING HIGH OCTANE GASOLINE COMPONENTS FROM THE REACTION ZONE.