Patent ID: 7179365

Claim:
A process to produce at least one naphthenic base oil having a low aniline point from a hydrocarbon feedstock containing heteroatom species and aromatics and boiling in the gas oil range, said process comprising: a) hydrofining said feedstock under hydrofining conditions effective for removing at least a portion of the heteroatom species and saturating at least a portion of said aromatics to produce a first stage effluent having a reduced amount of heteroatom species; b) stripping said first stage effluent in a stripping column wherein at least one intermediate stream is removed from said stripping column, wherein said intermediate stream has a viscosity index of about −25 to about 5 and an aniline point of less than 200° F.; c) dewaxing said intermediate steam under catalytic dewaxing conditions to produce at least one second stage effluent containing heteroatom species; d) hydrotreating said second stage effluent under hydrotreating conditions effective for removing at least a portion of the heteroatom species to produce at least one third stage effluent having a reduced amount of heteroatom species; and e) fractionating said third stage effluent to produce at least one naphthenic base oil having a VI less than 85.