Hydrofining of middle distillate feed stock

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES HYDROFINING A DIESEL OIL BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 350 TO 700*F. IN A FIRST REACTOR VESSEL AT TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 600-750*F. AND AT A PRESSURE OF FROM ABOUT 150-800 P.S.I.G., WITHDRAWING A MIDDLE DISTILLATE CHARGE BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 225 TO 550*F. DIRECTLY FROM A PIPE STILL, HEATING THE MIDDLE DISTILLATE CHARGE TO HYDROFINING TEMPERATURE AS HEREINAFTER DEFINED BY PASSING THE MIDDLE DISTILLATE CHARGE IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE HYDROFINED DIESEL OIL EFFLUENT FROM SAID FIRST REACTOR VESSEL, PASSING THE COOLED, HYDROFINED, DIESEL OIL TO A SEPARATOR VESSEL, SEPARATING THE HYDROGEN CONTAINING GAS FROM THE HYDROFINED DIESEL OIL, PASSING THE HYDROGEN CONTAINING GAS TO A SECOND REACTOR VESSEL, PASSING THE HYDROFINED DIESEL OIL FROM THE SEPARATOR VESSEL TO A FIRST STRIPPER VESSEL, STRIPPING THE HYDROFINED DIESEL OIL FREE OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND LIGHT NAPHTHA, WITHDRAWING A DIESEL OIL PRODUCT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SULFUR FROM SAID FIRST STRIPPER VESSEL, PASSING THE AFORESAID PREHEATED MIDDLE DISTILLATE STOCK IN ADMIXTURE WITH SAID HYDROGEN CONTAINING GAS FROM SAID SEPARATOR VESSEL OVER A HYDROFINING CATALYST IN SAID SECOND REACTION VESSEL AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 400 TO 600*F. AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 75 TO 400 P.S.I.G., COOLING THE HYDROFINED MIDDLE DISTILLATE EFFLUENT FROM THE SECOND REACTOR VESSEL BY PASSING IT IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH DIESEL OIL FEED, FURTHER HEATING THE DIESEL OIL FEED TO HYDROFINING TEMPERATURE AND CHARGING IT TO SAID FIRST REACTOR VESSEL.