Dual feed reactor hydrocracking process

A hydrocracking process which comprises the steps of:

• a.) dividing a hydrocarbon feed stream into a first feed stream and a second feed stream, and passing the first feed stream into a first hydrocracking reaction zone in admixture with hydrogen and contacting the first feed stream with a first bed of hydrocracking catalyst maintained at hydrocracking conditions which achieve a conversion rate above 40 percent and producing a first effluent stream;
• b.) contacting the second feed stream in admixture with hydrogen with a second bed of hydrocracking catalyst in a second hydrocracking reaction zone maintained at hydrocracking conditions which achieve a conversion rate above 40 percent and producing a second effluent stream;
• c.) passing the first and second effluent streams into a common vapor-liquid separation zone, and removing a vapor phase process stream and a liquid phase process stream from the vapor-liquid separation zone;
• d.) recycling at least a portion of the vapor phase process stream to the first and second hydrocracking reaction zones;
• e.) passing the liquid phase process stream into a fractionation zone, and recovering a diesel boiling range product stream and a hydrocarbon recycle stream comprising unconverted hydrocarbons;
• and,
• f.) passing substantially all of the hydrocarbon recycle stream into the second hydrocracking reaction zone.

A hydrocracking process which comprises the steps of:

• a.) dividing a process feed stream into a first feed stream and a second feed stream of equal composition, passing the first feed stream into a first hydrocracking reaction zone in admixture with hydrogen, contacting the first feed stream with a first bed of hydrocracking catalyst maintained at hydrocracking conditions which achieve a conversion rate between 50 and 85 volume percent and producing a first effluent stream;
• b.) passing the second feed stream into a second hydrocracking reaction zone in admixture with hydrogen and contacting the second feed stream with a second bed of hydrocracking catalyst maintained at hydrocracking conditions which achieve a conversion rate above 40 percent and producing a second effluent stream;
• c.) passing the first and second effluent streams into a common vapor-liquid separation zone, and removing a vapor phase process stream and a liquid phase process stream from the vapor-liquid separation zone;
• d.) contacting the vapor phase process stream with a hydrotreating catalyst;
• e.) recycling hydrogen contained in the vapor phase process stream to both the first and second hydrocracking reaction zones;
• f.) passing the liquid phase process stream into a fractionation zone, and recovering a diesel boiling range product stream and a hydrocarbon recycle stream comprising unconverted hydrocarbons;
• and,
• g.) passing the hydrocarbon recycle stream into only the second hydrocracking reaction zone.