PROCESSO PARA O HIDROTRATAMENTO CATALITICO DE OLEOS DE HIDROCARBONETOS

A process for catalytically hydrotreating hydrocarbon oils having a tendency to deactivate hydrotreating catalysts by coke formation, in the presence of hydrogen at elevated temperature and pressure which comprises passing: a) oils having a final boiling point greater than 538 DEG C and containing less than 2%w of heptane asphaltenes, b) oils having a final boiling point from 343 DEG C-538 DEG C, or c) mixtures thereof, downwardly with a hydrogen-containing gas into a hydrotreating zone over a stacked-bed of hydrotreating catalysts under conditions suitable to convert more than 25% of the sulphur compounds present to H2S; wherein said stacked-bed comprises an upper zone containing 15-85%v, basis total catalyst, of a hydrotreating catalyst comprising a component from Group VIB, a Group VIII metal, metal oxide or metal sulphide and a phosphorus compound and a lower a zone containing 15-85%v, basis total catalyst, of a hydrotreating catalyst comprising a component from Group VIB, a Group VIII metal, metal oxide or metal sulphide, and less than 0.5%w phosphorus and separating the reacting product from said hydrotreating zone into a hydrogen-rich gas and a liquid hydrocarbon oil having reduced sulphur and/or heavy metal content.