Integrated process for the production of lubricating base oils and liquid fuels from Fischer-Tropsch materials using split feed hydroprocessing

An integrated process for producing Fischer-Tropsch derived products boiling in the range of liquid fuel and lubricating base oil which comprises:

• (a) recovering separately from a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor a Fischer-Tropsch wax and a Fischer-Tropsch condensate;
• (b) hydroprocessing the Fischer-Tropsch wax in a wax hydroprocessing zone by contacting the Fischer-Tropsch wax with a hydroprocessing catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under hydroprocessing conditions and recovering from the wax hydroprocessing zone a waxy intermediate and a hydrogen-rich normally liquid fraction;
• (c) mixing the Fischer-Tropsch condensate from step (a) and at least part of the hydrogen-rich normally liquid fraction from step (b) to form a Fischer-Tropsch condensate mixture;
• (d) hydrotreating the Fischer-Tropsch condensate mixture in a condensate hydrotreating zone by contacting the Fischer-Tropsch condensate mixture with a hydrotreating catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under hydrotreating conditions and recovering from the condensate hydrotreating zone a hydrotreated Fischer-Tropsch condensate product;
• (e) recovering from the hydrotreated Fischer-Tropsch condensate product a Fischer-Tropsch derived hydrocarbon boiling within the range of liquid fuel;
• (f) dewaxing the waxy intermediate from step (b) in a catalytic dewaxing zone by contacting the waxy intermediate with a dewaxing catalyst in the presence hydrogen under dewaxing conditions and recovering a base oil from the dewaxing zone;
• (g) hydrofinishing the base oil from step (f) in a hydrofinishing zone by contacting the base oil with a hydrofinishing catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under hydrofinishing conditions;
• (h) recovering from the hydrofinishing zone a UV stabilized lubricating base oil and a hydrogen-rich gas;
• and
• (i) recycling the hydrogen-rich gas from step (h) to the wax hydroprocessing zone of step (b) and wherein the total pressure in the hydrofinishing zone is at least as high as the total pressure in the wax hydroprocessing zone.