Patent ID: 8551323

Claim:
A process for hydroprocessing a heavy oil feedstock, the process employing a plurality of contacting zones and at least a separation zone, the process comprising: providing a hydrogen containing gas feed; providing a feed mixture comprising a heavy oil feedstock with a solvating hydrocarbon having a normal boiling point less than 538° C. (1000° F.) at a weight ratio of the solvating hydrocarbon to the heavy oil feedstock is in the range of 1:1 to 20:1, the solvating hydrocarbon comprising a mixture of toluene and methyl cyclohexane (MCH) in a ratio ranging from 10:1 to 1:10 of toluene to MCH, and the feed mixture having a critical pressure P c in the range of 500 to 2000 psi and a critical temperature T c in the range of 500 to 1000° F.; providing a slurry catalyst feed in a hydrocarbon oil diluent; combining the hydrogen containing gas feed, the mixture of heavy oil feedstock and the solvating hydrocarbon, and the slurry catalyst feed in a first contacting zone at a temperature near T c and a pressure near P c to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products; sending a first effluent stream from the first contacting zone comprising the upgraded products, the slurry catalyst, the hydrogen containing gas, the solvating hydrocarbon, and unconverted heavy oil feedstock to a first separation zone, wherein volatile upgraded products are removed with the hydrogen containing gas as a first overhead stream, and the slurry catalyst and unconverted heavy oil feedstock are removed as a first non-volatile stream; collecting the first overhead stream for further processing; and collecting the first non-volatile stream for further processing.