Process for removal of sulfur from components for blending of transportation fuels

A process for removing non-basic nitrogen-containing organic compounds and sulfur-containing compounds from a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock boiling between about 60° and about 425° C. and comprising olefins, nitrogen-containing compounds, including non-basic nitrogen-containing compounds, at a level of up to about 200 parts per million, and sulfur-containing compounds at a level of up to about 5000 parts per million, to produce a sulfur-lean liquid product, comprising:

• removing the non-basic nitrogen-containing compounds from the aforesaid olefin-containing feedstock to yield an olefin-containing effluent having a reduced amount of non-basic nitrogen-compounds;
• and subsequently in a separate step
• contacting the aforesaid effluent with an acidic catalyst under conditions which are effective to convert a portion of the sulfur-containing compounds to higher molecular weight sulfur-containing compounds through alkylation by the aforesaid olefins and to afford a liquid effluent containing such higher molecular weight sulfur-containing compounds;
• fractionating the aforesaid liquid effluent to separate a high boiling liquid fraction containing the aforesaid higher molecular weight sulfur-containing compounds from a sulfur-lean liquid fraction;
• and
• recovering the sulfur-lean liquid fraction as the product.