Patent ID: 8840777

Claim:
A process, comprising: providing a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock to a mixing zone, where the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is selected to contain at least 20 wt. % hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C. as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D5307; providing a metal-containing catalyst comprising a Lewis base to the mixing zone; wherein any metal-containing catalyst provided to the mixing zone has an acidity as measured by ammonia chemisorption of at most 200 μmol ammonia desorbed from the catalyst per gram of catalyst; continuously or intermittently providing hydrogen to the mixing zone; blending the hydrogen, hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, and the metal-containing catalyst in the mixing zone at a temperature of from 375° C. to 500° C. and at a pressure of from 6.9 MPa to less than 27.5 MPa to produce: a) a vapor comprised of hydrocarbons that are vaporizable at the temperature and the pressure within the mixing zone; and b) a hydrocarbon-depleted feed residuum comprising hydrocarbons that are liquid at the temperature and pressure within the mixing zone; continuously or intermittently separating at least a portion of the vapor from the mixing zone while retaining in the mixing zone at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-depleted feed residuum comprising hydrocarbons that are liquid at the temperature and pressure within the mixing zone, wherein the vapor separated from the mixing zone comprises a first hydrocarbon-containing product containing one or more hydrocarbon compounds that are liquid at STP; apart from the mixing zone, contacting the first hydrocarbon-containing product with hydrogen and a catalyst comprising a Column 6 metal of the Periodic Table or a compound thereof at a temperature of from 260° C. to 425° C. and a pressure of from 3.4 MPa to 27.5 MPa to produce a product stream comprising a second hydrocarbon-containing product; separating the second hydrocarbon-containing product into fractions wherein one fraction is comprised of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of from 343° C. to 538° C. as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D5307; and contacting the fraction comprised of hydrocarbons having a boiling point of from 343° C. to 538° C. with a fluidizable cracking catalyst at a temperature of at least 500° C.