Patent ID: 8025793

Claim:
A process for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products comprising: mixing said heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed with hydrogen and catalyst particles comprising 2 to 45 wt-% iron oxide and 20 to 98 wt-% alumina to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry on a non-volatile basis; heating the slurry to a temperature of at least 410° C. in the presence of sulfur; converting essentially all of said iron oxide in the hydrocarbon slurry to iron sulfide upon reaching said temperature of no more than 410° C.; hydrocracking hydrocarbons in said heavy hydrocarbon slurry in the presence of hydrogen and iron sulfide in a hydrocracking reactor to produce a hydrocracked slurry product comprising lighter hydrocarbon products; and withdrawing said hydrocracked slurry product from said hydrocracking reactor.