Process for desulfurizing cracked naphtha

A process for desulfurizing a cracked naphtha containing organic sulfur compounds comprising:

• a) feeding the cracked naphtha to a distillation column comprising a bottom reboiler;
• b) fractionating said cracked naphtha into a light naphtha fraction and a heavy naphtha fraction which is removed as bottoms from the distillation column;
• c) feeding the heavy naphtha fraction and hydrogen to a hydrodesulfurization unit containing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst to produce a first desulfurized heavy naphtha effluent;
• the process further comprising:
• d) heat exchanging the first desulfurized heavy naphtha effluent in a first indirect heat exchanger to pre-heat the heavy naphtha fraction and to provide a second desulfurized heavy naphtha effluent;
• e) withdrawing an intermediate naphtha fraction as a side draw from the distillation column at a side draw tray located below the feed inlet and above the heavy naphtha fraction bottom outlet, wherein the side draw tray has a temperature at least 10° C. lower than the temperature of the lowermost tray of the column, and higher than the temperature of the feed tray;
• f) heating said intermediate naphtha fraction at a lower temperature than the bottom reboiler, with an intermediate reboiler supplied with the desulfurized heavy naphtha effluent as a heat source having a temperature lower than the bottom reboiler and to provide a third desulfurized heavy naphtha effluent;
• g) recycling the heated intermediate naphtha fraction to the distillation column at the intermediate naphtha fraction side draw tray or at a tray located below the intermediate naphtha fraction side draw tray of the column and above a lowermost tray of the distillation column
• h) heat exchanging the third desulfurized heavy naphtha effluent in a second indirect heat exchanger to pre-heat the cracked naphtha.