Process for hydrotreating an organic feedstock containing olefinic compounds and a halogen component

A process for hydrotreating an organic feedstock containing thermally unstable compounds and a halogen component while minimizing the thermal decomposition of said thermally unstable compounds and stabilizing the activity of the hydrotreating catalyst which process comprises the following steps:

• (a) contacting said organic feedstock, containing thermally unstable compounds and a halogen component, and a gaseous recycle stream, comprising hydrogen and a hydrogen halide compound, with a hydrogenation catalyst in a hydrogenation reaction zone at hydrogenation reaction conditions to increase the hydrogen content of the organic feedstock and to produce a hydrogen halide compound;
• (b) condensing at least a portion of the resulting effluent from said hydrogenation reaction zone to produce a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen and a hydrogen halide compound, and a liquid stream comprising hydrocarbonaceous compounds;
• (c) recycling at least a portion of said gaseous stream comprising hydrogen and a hydrogen halide compound recovered in step (b) to said hydrogenation reaction zone in step (a);
• and
• (d) recovering a stream comprising hydrocarbonaceous compounds and having a reduced level of a halogen component.