Catalytic hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

A COMBINED HYDROCRACKING-REFORMING PROCESS FOR CONVERTING A GAS OIL FEEDSTOCK TO A HIGH-OCTANE, AROMATIC GASOLINE PRODUCT, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID FEEDSTOCK IN ADMIXTURE WITH HYDROGEN THROUGH AN ELONGATED CONVERSION ZONE IN CONTACT WITH A HYDROCRACKING CATALYST AT A PRESSURE ABOVE ABOUT 500 P.S.I.G., MAINTAINING IN AN UPSTREAM PORTION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE HYDROCRACKING TEMPERATURES BETWEEN ABOUT 400* AND 750*F., SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIAL EXOTHERMIC HYDROCRACKING TAKES PLACE, MAINTAINING IN A DOWNSTREAM PORTION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE A RELATIVELY HIGHER AVERAGE TEMPERATURE, BETWEEN ABOUT 800* AND 1,000*F., SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIAL REFORMING TAKES PLACE, AND CONTINUOUSLY ADDING AMMONIA TO THE REACTANT STREAM IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE AT ONE OR MORE POINTS BETWEEN SAID UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM PORTIONS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT THERMAL QUENCHING SO AS TO DECREASE THE NET EXOTHERMICITY OF THE REACTION IN SAID DOWNSTREAM PROTION, SAID HYDROCRACKING CATALYST COMPRISING A GROUP VI-B AND/OR GROUP VIII METAL HYDROGENATING COMPONENT DEPOSITED UPON A REFRACTORY SOLID CRACKING BASE HAVING A CRACKING ACTIVITY IN EXCESS OF THAT CORRESPONDING TO A CAT-A ACTIVITY INDEX OF ABOUT 40.