Patent ID: 6841062

Claim:
A crude oil desulfurization process comprising the following steps: (a) hydrodesulfurizing a crude oil feed in a crude desulfurization unit to obtain a desulfurized crude oil; (b) separating the desulfurized crude oil of step (a) into a light gas oil fraction, a vacuum gas oil fraction and a residual fraction; (c) hydrocracking the vacuum gas oil fraction of step (b) into at least one fuel product having a low sulfur content; by means of the following steps: (1) passing the vacuum gas oil in combination with hydrogen to a first hydrocracking reaction zone to create an effluent comprising at least one fuel product having a low sulfur content; (2) passing at least a portion of the effluent of, step (1) to a second hydrocracking reaction zone; and (3) recycling at least a portion of the second hydrocracking reaction zone effluent to the second hydrocracking reaction zone, (d) hydrotreating the light gas oil fraction of step (b).