Heavy hydrocarbon hydroprocessing catalyst and methods of making and using thereof

An ebullating bed catalyst, comprising:

• a calcined particle comprising:
• alumina in the range of from 70 to 92.5 wt. % based on the weight of the ebullating bed catalyst;
• a molybdenum component in an amount greater than 5 wt. %, calculated as metal and based on the weight of the ebullating bed catalyst;
• and
• a nickel component in an amount such that the ebullating bed catalyst has an atomic ratio of nickel-to-molybdenum in the range of from 0.2 to 0.9, wherein the ebullating bed catalyst has a high macroporosity pore structure such that at least 18% of a total pore volume of the ebullating bed catalyst is in pores of a diameter greater than 5,000 Å, at least 25% of the total pore volume of the ebullating bed catalyst is in pores of a diameter greater than 1,000 Å;
• and
• a bimodal pore size distribution defined as having a first pore diameter peak within the range of from 40 Å to 100 Å and a second pore diameter peak in the range of from 5,000 Å to 11,000 Å.