Base Oil Upgrading by Co-Feeding a Ketone or Beta-Keto-Ester Feedstock

A process for increasing the viscosity index of a base oil, comprising:

• a) providing a ketone or a beta-keto-ester feedstock from a reaction in a decarboxylation-coupling zone with one or more reactants comprising:
• i) one or more fatty acids which can be the same or different and a decarboxylation-coupling catalyst, or
• ii) one or more esters of fatty acids which can be the same or different and a base;
• b) providing a blend by co-feeding the ketone or the beta-keto-ester feedstock of Step a) with a lubricant oil feedstock together or separately into a hydrocracking zone, wherein the blend comprises greater than 5 wt. % of the ketone or the beta-keto-ester feedstock;
• c) hydrocracking the blend of Step b) in a lubricant hydrocracking zone in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst and hydrogen under lubricant hydrocracking conditions to produce a hydrocracked stream;
• and
• d) dewaxing at least a portion of the hydrocracked stream in a hydroisomerization zone in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst and hydrogen under hydroisomerization conditions to produce a base oil,
• wherein the ketone or the beta-keto-ester feedstock is not hydrotreated prior to hydrocracking