Conversion of high boiling organic materials to low boiling materials

A process for recovering fuel range liquids from heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstocks which comprise

• (a) contacting a heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstock at a temperature of from about 375.degree. to 600.degree. C. and at a pressure of from about 2000 to 9,000 psi in a reducing atmosphere with an aqueous acidic medium containing as a promoter, a halogen, a hydrogen halide, or a halogen-containing organic compound which can form a halide or a hydrogen halide in the aqueous acidic medium under the process conditions, or mixtures thereof, whereby the heavy hydrocarbon oil feed stocks and aqueous acidic medium form substantially a single-phase system for a period of time sufficient to provide the desired conversion of feedstock to fuel range liquids,
• (b) allowing the mixture to form an aqueous phase and an organic phase, and
• (c) separating the organic phase from the aqueous phase and recovering the fuel range liquids from the organic phase.

A process for converting heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstocks to fuel range liquids which comprises

• (a) contacting said heavy hydrocarbon oil feedstocks in a reducing atmosphere with an aqueous acidic medium containing a halogen, a hydrogen halide, or a mixture thereof at a temperature in excess of 375.degree. C., and at a pressure of at least about 2000 psi whereby the temperature and pressure are sufficient to maintain the mixture of hydrocarbon oil feedstock and aqueous acidic medium in a substantially single-phase system for a period of time sufficient to provide the desired degree of conversion of the feedstock to fuel range liquids,
• (b) allowing the mixture to form an aqueous phase and an organic phase, and
• (c) separating the organic phase from the aqueous phase and recovering the fuel range liquids from the organic phase.