Methods for co-processing of biomass and petroleum feed

A process for producing fuel from biomass comprising:

• (i) torrefying biomass material at a temperature between 80° C. and 400° C. under conditions wherein biomass conversion is avoided to form particulated biomass having a mean average particle size from 1 μm to 1000 μm;
• (ii) mixing the particulated biomass with a liquid hydrocarbon to form a stable suspension of particulated biomass within the liquid hydrocarbon, wherein the suspension comprises between 1 weight percent and 40 weight percent particulated biomass;
• (iii) contacting the suspension with a heat-carrier material, wherein the heat carrier material comprises a catalyst, the catalyst being selected from the group consisting of a cobalt molybdate, a nickel molybdate, and a tungstate hydroprocessing catalyst;
• (iv) feeding the suspension into a unit selected from the group consisting of a pyrolysis reactor, a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a delayed coker, a fluid coker, a hydroprocessing unit, and a hydrocracking unit;
• and
• (v) converting at least a portion of the particulated biomass of the suspension into fuel.