Patent ID: 7556729

Claim:
A method for the selective hydrodesulfurization of a hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least 5 weight percent up to about 60 weight percent olefins and from 300 ppmw to 10,000 ppmw sulfur, said method comprises: Contacting under selective hydrodesulfurization conditions said olefin and sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feedstock with a catalyst composition comprising a heat treated shaped mixture of a porous refractory oxide and a first nickel component at a first nickel component concentration of less than about 5 weight percent of said heat treated shaped mixture; a second nickel component overlayed on said heat treated shaped mixture; wherein said catalyst composition has a total nickel concentration that exceeds about 8 weight percent of said catalyst composition; a small but catalytically effective concentration of a molybdenum component of less than 3 weight percent; and a phosphorous concentration of from 0.01 to 5 weight percent; to thereby selectively hydrodesulfurize said hydrocarbon feedstock to provide a sulfur reduction of at least 20 weight percent with an olefin reduction of less than 25 weight percent, to yield a low sulfur product.