Patent ID: 7959795

Claim:
A process for hydrodesulfurizing a distillate boiling range feedstream, which process comprises, determining a minimum treat gas rate (TGR m ) for hydrogen treat gas in accordance with the following: TGR m = 1000 ⁢ ( N / 15 ) a ⁢ ( 42 / API ) b ⁢ ( 0.1 + S / 0.1 ) c ( 0.2 + PH / 80 ) d in which a, b, c, and d are positive numbers, N is nitrogen in wppm of said distillate boiling range feedstream, S is sulfur in wt. % of said distillate boiling range feedstream, API is API gravity of said distillate boiling range feedstream, and PH is a hydrogen partial pressure in psia, wherein 0.1≦a≦0.6, 0.3≦b≦1.5, 0.1≦c≦0.4, and 0.1≦d≦0.8; and contacting said distillate boiling range feedstream with a hydrogen treat gas and a hydrodesulfurization catalyst comprised of at least one Group VIII metal and at least one Group VI metal on a refractory support, at hydrodesulfurization conditions including a hydrogen partial pressure PH, to produce a distillate product stream having a substantially lower level of sulfur than the original distillate boiling range feedstream, the hydrogen treat gas being provided at a treat gas rate of at least TGR m .