Patent ID: 7578928

Claim:
A method of hydroprocessing a heavy oil feedstock, comprising: preparing a heavy oil feedstock comprised of a substantial quantity of hydrocarbons having a boiling point greater than about 650° F. and a colloidal or molecular catalyst dispersed throughout the feedstock; heating or maintaining the heavy oil feedstock at a hydrocracking temperature within a hydrocracking reactor to form hydrocarbon free radicals from the heavy oil feedstock, the colloidal or molecular catalyst catalyzing reactions between hydrogen and the free radicals in the hydrocracking reactor to yield an upgraded material and reducing or eliminating formation of coke precursors and sediment in the hydrocracking reactor; transferring the upgraded material, together with residual colloidal or molecular catalyst and hydrogen, to a hot separator so as to separate gaseous and volatile fractions from a liquid fraction; withdrawing the liquid fraction from the hot separator and introducing the liquid fraction together with residual colloidal or molecular catalyst into a guard bed containing a solid supported catalyst for hydroprocessing of the liquid fraction, the solid supported catalyst removing at least a portion of the residual colloidal or molecular catalyst and metal contaminants from the liquid fraction to yield an upgraded liquid fraction; and introducing the upgraded liquid fraction into a fixed bed hydroprocessing reactor containing a solid supported catalyst in order to further upgrade the upgraded liquid fraction.