Patent ID: 7749373

Claim:
A process for hydrocracking a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising components boiling above 343° C. into a middle distillate fraction in the presence of hydrogen under hydrocracking conditions, the process comprising: contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock in a first hydrocracking zone in the presence of one or more hydrocracking catalysts and thereafter in a second hydrocracking zone in the presence of one or more hydrocracking catalysts; and recovering a middle distillate product, wherein the entire effluent from the first hydrocracking zone is passed into the second hydrocracking zone, and at least one hydrocracking catalyst in the first hydrocracking zone comprises one or more hydrogenation components on a support comprising at least one large pore zeolite having a pore diameter in the range of 0.7-1.5 nm and at least one inorganic oxide, and at least one hydrocracking catalyst in the second hydrocracking zone comprises one or more hydrogenation components selected from sulphides of Group VIB and VIII elements of the Periodic Table on a support comprising a beta zeolite and at least one inorganic oxide.