Multi-stage hydrocracking process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING GASOLINE AND MIDDLE DISTILLATES FROM A HYDROCARBON FEED SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITROGEN-CONTAINING PETROLEUM DISTILLATES AND PETROLEUM RESIDUA BOILING ABOVE 650*F., WHICH COMPRISES SELECTING AT LEAST TWO FEED FRACTIONS HAVING DIFFEREENT BOILING RANGES, SEPARATELY HYDROCRACKING AT A PER-PASS CONVERSION ABOVE 40% EACH OF SAID FRACTIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF FROM 1000 TO 12000 S.C.F. OF HYDROGEN PER BARREL THEREOF IN A CONVERSION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE FROM 500* TO 950*F., A PRESSURE ABOVE 500 P.S.I.G. AND AN LHSV OF FROM 0.1 TO 4.0 WITH A CATALYST HAVING NO MORE THAN WEAK ACIDITY COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE HYDROGENATING COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP VI METALS AND COMPOUNDS OF GROUP VI METALS AND AT LEAST ONE HYDROGENATING COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP VIII METALS AND COMPOUNDS OF GROUP VIII METALS IN INTIMATE ASSOCIATION WITH A SILICA-CONTAINING SUPPORT, RECOVERING AT LEAST ONE PRODUCT BOILING BELOW 550*F. FROM SAID ZONE, AND SEPARATELY HYDROCRACKING AT A PER-PASS CONVERSION ABOVE 40% THAT PORTION OF THE EFFLUENT FROM SAID ZONE BOILING ABOVE 550*F. AND BELOW THE INITIAL BOILING POINT OF THE FEED TO SAID ZONE TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS BOILING BELOW 550*F.