Integral hydrofining-hydrocracking process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR HYDROCRACKING A HEAVY MINERAL OIL FEEDSTOCK, AT LEAST ABOUT 10% OF WHICH BOILS ABOVE 700* F., AND WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST ABOUT 0.02 WEIGHT-PERCENT OF NITROGEN, TO PRODUCE THEREFROM HYDROCARBONS BOILING IN THE GASOLINE RANGE, WHICH COMPRISES: (1) FRACTIONATING SAID FEEDSTOCK TO RECOVER A HEAVY GAS OIL BOILING PREDOMINANTLY ABOVE 700* F., AND A LIGHT GAS OIL BOILING PREDOMINANTLY BELOW 700*F.; (2) SUBJECTING SAID LIGHT GAS OIL TO CATALYTIC HYDROFINING IN THE PRESENCE OF ADDED HYDROGEN AND A HYDROFINING CATALYST, AND UNDER HYDROFINING CONDITIONS INCLUDING A HYDROGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT 500 AND 2,500 P.S.I.A.; (3) SUBJECTING SAID HEAVY GAS OIL TO SEPARATE CATALYTIC HYDROFINING IN THE PRESENCE OF ADDED HYDROGEN AND A HYDROFINING CATALYST, AND UNDER HYDROFINING CONDITIONS INCLUDING A HYDROGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE WHICH IS (A) BETWEEN ABOUT 1,000 AND 5,000 P.S.I.A., AND (B) AT LEAST ABOUT 400 P.S.I.A. HIGHER THAN THE HYDROGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE EMPLOYED IN STEP (2); (4) COOLING, CONDENSING AND WATER-WASHING THE EFFLUENT FROM STEP (3) WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL DEPRESSURING, AND SEPARATING THEREFROM SPENT AMMONIACAL WASH WATER, A HIGH-PRESSURE, SUBSTANTIALLY AMMONIA-FREE RECYCLE GAS, AND A CONDENSED LIQUID HYDROCARBON PRODUCT; (5) RECYCLING SAID HIGH-PRESSURE RECYCLE GAS TO STEP (3); (6) MIXING TOTAL EFFLUENT FROM STEP (2), WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL DEPRESSURING, COOLING OR TREATING FOR REMOVAL OF AMMONIA, WITH SAID CONDENSED LIQUID HYDROCARBON PRODUCT FROM STEP (4), AND SUBJECTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO HYDROCRACKING AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THAT EMPLOYED IN STEP (2) IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROCRACKING CATALYST; AND (7) FRACTIONATING THE EFFLUENT FROM STEP (6) TO RECOVER THEREFROM A GASOLINE PRODUCT, A HIGHER BOILING RECYCLE OIL WHICH IS RECYCLED AT LEAST IN PART TO SAID HYDROCRACKING STEP (6), AND A LOW-PRESSURE RECYCLE GAS WHICH IS RECYCLED AT LEAST IN PART TO HYDROFINING STEP (2).