A process for making pentenenitrile, said process comprising the steps of: (i) reacting in a reaction zone a mixture comprising 1,3-butadiene and hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst comprising zero-valent Ni and a phosphorus-containing ligand to produce a reaction product comprising 3-pentenenitrile, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile (2M3BN), adiponitrile, and methylglutaronitrile; (ii) distilling the effluent from the reaction zone of step (i) to remove 1-3-butadiene and to obtain a 1,3-butadiene-depleted stream; (iii) distilling the 1,3-butediene-depleted stream from step (ii) to obtain streams comprising a pentenenitrile-enriched stream and a catalyst-enriched stream; and (iv) recycling at least a portion of the catatyst-enriched stream of step (iii) to the reaction zone of step (i) wherein catalyst flows through the reaction zone along with reactants and products, wherein the 1,3-butadiene-depleted stream from step (ii) is introduced into a distillation column comprising a feed inlet, an upper draw outlet, a side draw outlet, a bottom draw outlet and a rectifying section, wherein the rectifying section Is provided between the feed inlet and the upper draw outlet, wherein the rectifying section comprises at least two stages of separation, wherein the pentenenitrile-enriched stream of step (iii) is withdrawn from the upper draw outlet, wherein the catalyst-enriched stream of step (iii) is withdrawn from the bottom draw outlet. wherein said rectifying section further comprises a liquid collection apparatus, wherein the liquid collection apparatus is above the feed inlet, wherein liquid is collected in the liquid collection apparatus and passed through the side draw outlet to form a side draw stream, and wherein said side draw stream comprises methylglutaronitrile. (i) reacting in a reaction zone a mixture comprising 1,3-butadiene and hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst comprising zero-valent Ni and a phosphorus-containing ligand to produce a reaction product comprising 3-pentenenitrile, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile (2M3BN), adiponitrile, and methylglutaronitrile; (ii) distilling the effluent from the reaction zone of step (i) to remove 1-3-butadiene and to obtain a 1,3-butadiene-depleted stream; (iii) distilling the 1,3-butediene-depleted stream from step (ii) to obtain streams comprising a pentenenitrile-enriched stream and a catalyst-enriched stream; and (iv) recycling at least a portion of the catatyst-enriched stream of step (iii) to the reaction zone of step (i) wherein catalyst flows through the reaction zone along with reactants and products, wherein the 1,3-butadiene-depleted stream from step (ii) is introduced into a distillation column comprising a feed inlet, an upper draw outlet, a side draw outlet, a bottom draw outlet and a rectifying section, wherein the rectifying section Is provided between the feed inlet and the upper draw outlet, wherein the rectifying section comprises at least two stages of separation, wherein the pentenenitrile-enriched stream of step (iii) is withdrawn from the upper draw outlet, wherein the catalyst-enriched stream of step (iii) is withdrawn from the bottom draw outlet. wherein said rectifying section further comprises a liquid collection apparatus, wherein the liquid collection apparatus is above the feed inlet, wherein liquid is collected in the liquid collection apparatus and passed through the side draw outlet to form a side draw stream, and wherein said side draw stream comprises methylglutaronitrile.