Systems, methods, and catalysts for producing a crude product

A method of producing a crude product, comprising:

• contacting a crude feed with a catalyst to produce a total product that includes the crude product, wherein the crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa, the crude feed comprising one or more alkali metal salts of one or more organic acids and one or more alkaline-earth metal salts of one or more organic acids, the crude feed having, per gram of crude feed, a total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of at least 0.00001 grams, the catalyst having a pore size distribution with a median pore diameter of at least 90 Å, as determined by ASTM Method D4282, and the catalyst having the pore size distribution has a total molybdenum content, per gram of catalyst, from about 0.0001 grams to about 0.3 grams of:
• molybdenum, one or more molybdenum compounds, calculated as weight of molybdenum, or mixtures thereof;
• and
• controlling contacting conditions such that the crude product has a total content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids of at most 90% of the content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids in the crude feed, wherein content of alkali metal, and alkaline-earth metal, in metal salts of organic acids is as determined by ASTM Method D1318.