Catalyst performance in continuous hydrotreating of Rundle shale oil

The 100-400C fraction of Rundle shale oil has been processed over three commercial sulfide hydrotreating catalysts at 400C, 13.8-MPa hydrogen pressure, and 1.0-h/sup -1/ LHSV. Ni-W/SiO/sub 2/-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ deactivated rapidly, Co-Mo/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ was effective, and Ni-Mo/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ was most effective. The Ni-Mo should allow production of a good substitute crude oil but not single-step production of finished middle-distillate fuels. Hydroprocessing under the above conditions did not alter the boiling range of the oil much, but all the catalysts brought about hydrogenation of diaromatic material, a concomitant increase in hydroaromatics, and some cracking of polyaromatics. All the catalysts except the Ni-W completely deoxygenated phenolic components. Residual nitrogen compounds were predominantly nonbasic benzo- and dibenzopyrroles.