Desulfurization and sulfone removal using a coker

A method for upgrading a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising sulfur-containing compounds, the method for upgrading the hydrocarbon feedstock comprising:

• supplying the hydrocarbon feedstock having a boiling point of up to about 500° C. to reaction zone where the hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with an oxidant in the presence of a catalyst to oxidize at least a portion of the sulfur-containing compounds in the hydrocarbon feedstock and produce an intermediate product stream comprising hydrocarbons and oxidized sulfur-containing compounds;
• supplying the intermediate product stream comprising hydrocarbons and oxidized sulfur-containing compounds to an extraction vessel, wherein the intermediate product stream is contacted with a non-acidic polar organic solvent, the non-acidic polar organic solvent being dimethylformamide, wherein the non-acidic polar organic solvent selectively extracts oxidized sulfur-containing compounds from the intermediate product stream, to produce a first hydrocarbon product stream comprising hydrocarbons and having a lower concentration of sulfur-containing compounds than the hydrocarbon feedstock and a mixed stream comprising the non-acidic polar organic solvent and the extracted oxidized sulfur containing compounds;
• separating the mixed stream by distillation to produce a recovered non-acidic polar organic solvent stream comprising a major portion of the non-acidic polar organic solvent, and a residue stream comprising the oxidized sulfur-containing compounds;
• supplying the residue stream to a coker to produce a recovered hydrocarbon product stream comprising condensed coker vapors and gas oil and solid coke, wherein the coker includes a coker furnace and a coker drum, and wherein the coker furnace is operated at a temperature of at least about 400° C. and the coker drum is operated at a temperature of at least about 425° C. and a pressure in the range of between about 1 and 50 bars;
• supplying the extracted oxidized sulfur containing compounds to an adsorption column, the adsorption column being charged with an adsorbent suitable for the removal of oxidized compounds present in the extracted hydrocarbon stream, the adsorption column producing a high purity hydrocarbon product stream and a second residue stream, the second residue stream containing a portion of the oxidized compounds;
• supplying spent adsorbent comprising residual oils from the adsorption column to the coker for disposing the spent adsorbent after completion of an adsorption cycle;
• and
• recycling at least a portion of the recovered non-acidic polar organic solvent stream to the extraction vessel, wherein at least a portion of the recovered non-acidic polar organic solvent stream is combined with the non-acidic polar organic solvent.