PROCESS FOR THE HYDROCONVERSION OF HEAVY AND RESIDUAL OILS

The invention relates to a process for the hydroconversion of heavy and residual oils, spent oils and waste oils, tar sands and the like by contacting with hydrogen at a hydrogen partial pressure between 50 and 300 bar, a temperature between 250 and 500 DEG C, a throughput of 0.1 to 5 tonnes/m and hour, and a gas/liquid ratio between 100 and 10,000 standard m /tonne. The technical object and aim of the invention is to provide a process for processing heavy and residual oils, wherein excessive foam formation is avoided and the reaction space of the hydrogenation reactors is more fully utilised. To achieve the technical object, the catalyst or added additives in the hydrotreatment of the feedstocks has a particle size distribution between 0.1 and 2000 mu m, preferably 0.1 and 1000 mu m, and the fraction of the particles of catalyst or additive having a particle size of 100 mu m or more amount to between 10 and 40% by weight, preferably 10 or 30% by weight, of the total quantity of catalyst or additive added to the reactor system.