Patent ID: 8262902

Claim:
A method of processing petroleum, comprising: contacting in a reactor a solid particulate mixture with a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, wherein the solid particulate mixture comprises a sorbent impregnated with a nickel-containing material and a catalyst, wherein the sorbent adsorbs sulfur from the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, wherein the catalyst comprises a zeolite and causes reactions that increase octane of the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream; removing at least part of the solid particulate mixture from the reactor to provide a removed portion of the mixture; separating the sorbent from the catalyst within the removed portion by magnetic separation; and processing independent of one another the sorbent and the catalyst that are separated, wherein the solid particulate mixture within the reactor is replenished with at least one of the sorbent and the catalyst that is recycled from the removed portion.