Patent ID: 7214309

Claim:
A process for the hydroconversion, wherein hydroconversion is selected from the group consisting of hydrocracking, hydrotreating, hydrodesulphurization, hydrodenitrification, and hydrodemetalization, of heavy oils the process comprising at least one reaction stage, which employs a catalyst which is prepared by the following steps: (a) mixing a Group VIB metal oxide and aqueous ammonia to form a Group VI metal compound aqueous mixture; (b) sulfiding in a single step, in an initial reaction zone (distinguished from the first reaction stage above), the aqueous mixture of step (a) with a gas comprising hydrogen sulfide to a dosage greater than 8 SCF of hydrogen sulfide per pound of Group VIB metal to form a slurry; (c) promoting the slurry with a Group VIII metal compound; (d) mixing the slurry of step (c) with hydrocarbon oil having a viscosity of at least 2 cSt @ 212° F. to form Mixture X; (e) combining Mixture X with hydrogen gas in a second reaction zone, under conditions which maintain the water in Mixture X in a liquid phase, thereby forming an active catalyst composition admixed with a liquid hydrocarbon; and (f) recovering the active catalyst composition, and combining said composition with a heavy oil feedstream and hydrogen to create a feed and catalyst mixture; (g) passing the feed and catalyst mixture of step (f) to a hydroconversion reaction stage having at least one reactor; (h) reacting the mixture of step (g) under hydroconversion conditions to create gas and liquid products; (i) separating the effluent of step (h) into gas products, liquid products and catalyst.