Hydrogenation of heavy oils

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DESTRUCTIVELY HYDROGENATING A REDUCED CRUDE PETROLEUM OIL WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A FIXED BED OF A HYDROGENATION CATALYST AND A FRACTIONATION AND STRIPPING ZONE IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH, FEEDING SAID REDUCED CRUDE INTO THE LAST-NAMED ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID LAST-NAMED ZONE, UNDER A LOW PRESSURE, CAUSING A STRIPPING GAS TO FLOW UPWARDLY IN SAID FRACTIONATION AND STRIPPING ZONE, ADDING HEAT TO SAID LAST-NAMED ZONE TO REMOVE OVERHEAD LOWER BOILING OIL BY THE COMBINED EFFECT OF THE GAS STRIPPING AND ADDED HEAT, WITHDRAWING HIGH BOILING OIL AS BOTTOMS, COOLING SAID BOTTOMS, FEEDING SAID BOTTOMS TO A LOWER POINT IN SAID REACTION ZONE, ADDING HYDROGEN TO SAID REACTION ZONE, CAUSING THE OIL AND HYDROGEN TO FLOW UPWARDLY IN SAID REACTION ZONE IN CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST SUBMERGED IN LIQUID OIL, PROVIDING A GAS-OIL SEPARATION IN SAID REACTION ZONE IN A SPACE ABOVE THE UPPER OIL LEVEL, MAINTAINING HYDROGENATION CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURES OF FROM 650-950* F., PRESSURES OF FROM 100-2000 P.S.I.G. AND OIL RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID REACTION ZONE SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT THE HYDROCARBON FEED INTO PRODUCTS THE MAJOR PROPORTION OF WHICH BOIL IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 400-800* F., WITHDRAWING OIL FROM THE REACTION ZONE AT AN UPPER POINT THEREOF AND FEEDING SAID WITHDRAWN OIL TO SAID FRACTIONATION AND STRIPPING ZONE, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE AND FEEDING SAID GAS TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION AND STRIPPING ZONE AND CAUSING SAID GAS TO FLOW UPWARDLY IN THE LAST-NAMED ZONE TO EFFECT REMOVAL OVERHEAD OF LOWER BOILING OILS AND TREATING THE WITHDRAWN OILS FOR PRODUCT RECOVERY.