Patent ID: 7678264

Claim:
A method of producing a crude product, comprising: contacting a crude feed with two or more catalysts to produce a total product that includes the crude product, wherein the crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa; the crude feed has a nitrogen content of at least 0.0001 grams per gram of crude feed; wherein at least on the catalysts is a Column(s) 5-10 metal catalyst comprising at least vanadium and one other metal selected from Column(s) 5-10 of the Period Table and/or one or more compounds of vanadium and one or more metals from Column(s) 5-10 of the Periodic Table and a support comprised of at least 0.5 grams of theta alumina per gram of support; and wherein at least one of the catalysts is a Column 6 metal catalyst that is obtainable by heating an uncalcined Column 6 metal catalyst precursor in the presence of one or more sulfur containing compounds at a temperature below 500° C., wherein the uncalcined Column 6 metal catalyst precursor comprises: one or more metals from Column 6 of the Periodic Table and/or one or more compounds of one or more metals from Column 6 of the Periodic Table and a support; and controlling contacting conditions such that the crude product has a nitrogen content of at most 90% of the nitrogen content of the crude feed as determined by ASTM Method D5762.