Patent ID: 7931798

Claim:
A process for the conversion of a residual petroleum feed with low hydrogen consumption, which comprises: subjecting a heavy petroleum feed consisting of an atmospheric resid or a vacuum resid, which feed has an initial boiling point of at least 345° C. to hydroconversion at elevated temperature in the presence of hydrogen at a hydrogen pressure not higher than 3500 kPag in the presence of a dispersed metal-on-carbon catalyst to produce a hydroconverted effluent comprising a first 345° C. − fraction and a second fraction boiling above the boiling range of the first fraction; forming a feed consisting of the second fraction for a membrane separation step and separating the second fraction by the membrane separation step to produce a permeate and a retentate, the permeate being is lower in metals and Microcarbon Residue (MCR) relative to the retentate.