Hydroconversion of heavy crudes with high metal and asphaltene content in the presence of soluble metallic compounds and water

A thermal hydroconversion process for a hydrocarbon feedstock containing asphaltenes and metals which comprises the steps of

• (a) combining said feedstock with water, with a metallic catalyst precursor soluble in the feedstock and containing a metal catalyst which is a member of the group consisting of Groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB and VIII of the Periodic Table of Elements, and with a liquid recycle stream containing said metal catalyst in an amount of about 400 to about 15000 parts of said metal catalyst per million parts by weight of said recycle stream to produce a liquid admixture;
• said water being added to the resulting liquid admixture in an amount of about 0.1 to about 20 volume percent, based on the volume of the feedstock, and said metallic catalyst precursor being present in an amount providing about 50 to about 1000 parts of said metal catalyst per million parts by weight of said feedstock;
• (b) pre-heating the resulting admixture to a temperature of at least about 230.degree. C. but no more than about 420.degree. C. for a time period sufficient to effect decomposition of the metallic catalyst precursor present;
• (c) introducing hydrogen into the pre-heated admixture and subjecting the resulting mixture to thermal hydroconversion at a temperature of about 420.degree. C. to about 540.degree. C. and at a pressure of about 20 to about 250 atmospheres for a time period sufficient to provide an upgraded hydrocarbon mixture, and while maintaining a liquid water concentration in the resulting mixture of about 2 to about 25 percent by volume, based on the volume of the feedstock;
• (d) fractionating the upgraded hydrocarbon mixture to produce at least one vapor phase fraction and a residue fraction containing said metal catalyst;
• and
• (e) recycling at least a portion of the residue fraction to step (a), above.