Hydrotreating of petroleum distillates using shaped catalyst particles

A process for hydrotreating a petroleum distillate to remove sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components with a porous catalyst particle of given length and polylobal cross-sectional shape characterized by a concavity index of greater than 1.0, a void fraction in the range of about 0.25 to 0.60, and when containing more than two lobes at least 15% of the points within said particle being greater than about 0.015 inch from the particle surface;

• said particle having a ratio of geometric volume to geometric surface in the range of about 0.01 to 0.042 inch;
• a catalytic surface area greater than about 100 square meter per gram;
• a catalytic pore volume of between about 0.35 and 0.85 cubic centimeters per gram, said pore volume resulting from a major portion of pores of diameter in the range of about 40 to 90 angstrom units when measured with mercury up to 50,000 pounds per square inch absolute pressure and a contact angle of 140.degree. , and a composition comprising a major portion of alumina, from about 5 to 25 weight percent of molybdenum oxide and from about 1 to 8 weight percent of an oxide selected from cobalt and nickel oxides and mixtures thereof:
• said process comprising contacting said distillate with said catalyst particle and hydrogen at a hydrogen flow rate of about 100 to 10000 standard cubic feet per barrel of distillate at a liquid hourly space velocity of about 0.5 to 25 reciprocal hour, a temperature in the range of about 500.degree. to 800.degree. F., and a total pressure in the range of about 100 to 3000 pounds per square inch gauge.