Systems, methods, and catalysts for producing a crude product

A method of producing a crude product, comprising:

• contacting a crude feed with one or more catalysts to produce a total product that includes the crude product, wherein the crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa, the crude feed comprising one or more alkali metal salts of one or more organic acids, alkaline-earth metal salts of one or more organic acids, or mixtures thereof, the crude feed having, per gram of crude feed, a total content of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal in metal salts of organic acids of at least 0.00001 grams, and at least one of the catalysts is a Columns 5-10 catalyst that comprises:
• a support, the support comprising theta alumina;
• and
• one or more metals from Columns 5-10 of the Periodic Table and/or one or more compounds of one or more metals from Columns 5-10 of the Periodic Table;
• and
• controlling contacting condition temperature, pressure, crude feed flow, or combinations thereof such that the crude product has a total content of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal in metal salts of organic acids of at most 90% of the content of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal in metal salts of organic acids in the crude feed, wherein content of alkali metal and alkaline-earth metal in metal salts of organic acids is as determined by ASTM Method D1318.