Hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

In a fluid catalytic cracking process wherein a hydrocarbon stock containing sulfur is subjected to catalytic cracking in a fluid catalytic cracking zone, and hydrocarbon products effluent from said cracking zone are separated into fractions including a heavy cycle gas oil fraction having a boiling range above about 340° C., the method of producing an aromatic feedstock for the production of needle coke by delayed coking which comprises: (a) subjecting said heavy cycle gas oil to hydrotreating in a hydrotreating zone, (b) passing a fraction of effluent from said hydrotreating zone boiling above 340° C. to catalytic cracking in a second fluid catalytic cracking reaction zone effecting conversion of said hydrotreated heavy cycle gas oil to light olefins and normally liquid aromatic hydrocarbons, (c) separating a light olefins fraction from the effluent from said second fluid catalytic cracking reaction zone, (d) recovering normally liquid aromatic hydrocarbons boiling below about 340° C. from the effluent from said second catalytic cracking zone, (e) and recovering an aromatic heavy gas oil fraction boiling above about 340° C. from the effluent of said second fluid catalytic cracking zone suitable as feedstock for the production of needle coke by delayed coking.