Hydrotreating process

A process for hydrotreating a first aromatics- and sulfur-containing hydrocarbon feed boiling in the diesel fuel range using a fresh supported CoMo catalyst, the process comprising:

• treating a fresh, sulfided CoMo hydrotreating catalyst having a support of amorphous alumina, silica or alumina-silica, under first hydrotreating conditions including a temperature of about 300° C. to about 350° C., a pressure of about 1.5 MPaq to about 3.5 MPaq, and an LHSV of about 0.3 hr−1 to about 1.0 hr−1 with a second hydrocarbon feed having a lower aromatics content than said first feed, the second hydrocarbon feed having an aromatics content of less than 20 wt % to reduce the activity of the catalyst by at least 5% and, following the treatment with the second hydrocarbon feed,
• hydrotreating the first feed using the treated catalyst under hydrotreating conditions including a temperature of about 300° C. to about 380° C., a pressure of about 1.5 MPag to about 3.5 MPaq, and an LHSV of about 0.2 hr−1 to about 0.8 hr−to reduce the sulfur content of said first feed to 15 wppm or less.