Patent ID: 7271303

Claim:
A process for the production of low sulfur diesel and aromatic compounds which process comprises: (a) contacting a hydrocarbonaceous stream comprising C 9 + hydrocarbons with a hydrocracking catalyst in a hydrocracking zone under hydrocracking conditions to produce a hydrocracking zone effluent comprising xylenes; (b) passing the hydrocracking zone effluent into a fractionation zone to produce a first stream comprising hydrocarbons boiling in the range from about 38° C. (100° F.) to about 220° C. (428° F.) and a second stream comprising hydrocarbons boiling above about 220° C. (428° F.); (c) contacting at least a portion of the first stream with a reforming catalyst in a reforming zone under reforming conditions to produce a reforming zone effluent comprising hydrogen and aromatic compounds; (d) optionally contacting at least a portion of the reforming zone effluent with a transalkylation catalyst in a transalkylation zone under transalkylation conditions to produce a liquid hydrocarbonaceous transalkylation effluent and a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen; (e) passing at least a portion of the hydrogen produced in step (c) to the hydrocracking zone; and (f) recovering xylenes.