Processing shale oil to jet fuel

In the process for preparing whole crude shale oil for maximum conversion to jet fuel in which the whole crude shale oil is contacted with both hydrogen and a catalyst selected from the group consisting of cobalt molybdate on alumina, nickel molybdate on alumina and nickel-cobalt on alumina and the contacting is at a temperature in the range of between about 600.degree. F. to about 850.degree. F. and is at a pressure in the range of between from about 200 psig to about 5000 psig wherein the improvement comprises that the combination of conditions being such that the hydrogen consumption is in the range of about 700 to about 3000 standard cubic feet per barrel, and continuing the contacting until a substantial amount of neutral and acidic nitrogen compounds contained in the oil are converted to basic nitrogen compounds, hydrocarbons and ammonia;

• separating contacting shale oil from the catalyst;
• contacting the separated oil with anhydrous hydrogen chloride in an amount at least sufficient to react with the basic nitrogen compounds remaining in said separated oil to form a reaction product, said contacting being carried out at a temperature range wherein the lower temperature is that at which only nominal amounts of wax will precipitate and the upper temperature is that at which only nominal amounts of reaction product resulting from the reaction of the hydrogen chloride and the basic nitrogen compounds will redissolve in the oil;
• and separating the oil from the reaction product.