Entrained-bed hydroconversion of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising pre-mixing said feedstock with an organic additive

A process for the hydroconversion of a heavy oil feedstock (101) containing a fraction of at least 50% by weight having a boiling point of at least 300° C., and containing metals and asphaltenes, comprising:

• (a) preparing a first conditioned heavy oil feedstock (103) by blending said heavy oil feedstock (101) with an organic chemical compound (102) comprising at least one carboxylic acid function and/or at least one ester function and/or an acid anhydride function;
• (b) preparing a second conditioned heavy oil feedstock (105) by mixing a catalyst precursor composition (104) comprising molybdenum 2-ethylhexanoate, molybdenum naphthanate, vanadium naphthanate, vanadium octoate, molybdenum hexacarbonyl, vanadium hexacarbonyl, or iron pentacarbonyl with the first conditioned heavy oil feedstock (103) from (a) in a manner so that a colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed when it reacts with sulfur;
• (c) heating the second conditioned heavy oil feedstock from (b) in at least one preheating device;
• (d) introducing said heated second conditioned heavy oil feedstock (106) from (c) into at least one slurry bed reactor and operating said slurry bed reactor in the presence of hydrogen and at hydroconversion conditions to produce an upgraded material (107), and
• wherein the colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed in situ within the second conditioned heavy oil feedstock at (c) and/or at (d).