Process for hydrodesulfurizing and subsequently catalytically cracking gas oil

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR MAXIMIZING THE YIELD OF CATALYTICALLY CRACKED GASOLINE OF LOW SULFUR CONTENT AND HIGH OCTANE FROM A GAS OIL FEED STOCK AND FOR MINIMIZING THE YIELD OF LOW OXTANE NUMBER HYDROCRACKED GASOLINE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF HYDRODESULFURIZING A FEED STOCK BOILING IN THE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 600* AND 1000*F. AND COMPRISING A SULFUR-CONTAINING CRUDE PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF COBALT MOLYBDATE SUPPORTED ON SUBSTANTIALLY SILICAFREE GAMMA ALUMINA UNDER HYDROESULFURIZATION CONDITIONS INCLUDING A PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 400 TO 800 P.S.I.G., A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 600 TO 765*F., A SPACE VELOCITY WITHIN THE RANGE OF 2 TO 4.5 VOLUMES OF FEED PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR AND A HYDROGEN CHARGE RATE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1000 TO 6000 CUBIC FEET OF HYDROGEN PER BARREL FO FEED STOCK, SAID CATALYST HAVING BEEN ACTIVATED AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1400* TO 1500*F. FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 4 TO ABOUT 36 HOURS AND HAVING A MOST FREQUENT PORE DIAMETER WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 75 TO 200 A., A SPREAD IN THE MORE FREQUENT PORE DIAMETERS WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 10 TO 200 A. AND A PORE DISTRIBUTION FACTOR OF MORE THAN ABOUT 10 AND THEREAFTER CATALYTICALLY CRACKING AT LEAST THE GAS OIL FRACTION OF THE PRODUCTS OF SAID HYDRODESULFURIZATION REACTION TO OBTAIN SAID CATALYTICALLY CRACKED GASOLINE.