Patent ID: 7837863

Claim:
A method of producing a crude product, comprising: providing at least one catalyst comprising vanadium, one or more compounds of vanadium, or mixtures thereof; and contacting a crude feed with the catalyst comprising vanadium, one or more compounds of vanadium, or mixtures thereof, to produce a total product that includes the crude product, wherein the crude product is a liquid mixture at 25.degree. C. and 0.101 MPa, the crude feed comprising one or more alkali metal salts of one or more organic acids, one or more alkaline-earth metal salts of one or more organic acids, or mixtures thereof, and the crude feed having, per gram of crude feed, a total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of at least 0.00001 grams; and controlling contacting conditions such that the crude product has a total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of at most 90% of the content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids in the crude feed, wherein content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids is as determined by ASTM Method D1318 wherein the catalyst comprises in addition an additional catalyst and the additional catalyst has a pore size distribution of at least 180.ANG.