The Use of Clays for the Hydrotreatment of Heavy Crude Oils

Abstract The increasing supply of heavy crude oils is a matter of serious concern for the petroleum industry. In order to satisfy the changing pattern of product demand, significant investments in refining conversion processes will be necessary to profitably utilize these heavy crude oils. Although the most efficient and economical solution to this problem will depend to a large extent on individual country and company situations, the most promising technologies will likely involve the conversion of vacuum bottom residual oils, asphalt from deasphalting processes, and superheavy crude oils into useful light and middle distillate products.