Process for converting petroleum feedstocks comprising an ebullating-bed hydrocracking stage, a maturation stage and a stage of separating the sediments for the production of fuel oils with a low sediment content

Process for converting a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock containing at least one hydrocarbon fraction having a sulphur content of at least 0.1% by weight, an initial boiling temperature of at least 340° C. and a final boiling temperature of at least 440° C., to obtain a heavy fraction having a sediment content after ageing of less than or equal to 0.1% by weight, said process comprising the following stages:

• a) hydrocracking the feedstock in the presence of hydrogen in at least one reactor containing a supported catalyst in an ebullating bed,
• b) separating an effluent obtained at the end of stage a) into at least one light hydrocarbon fraction containing fuel bases and a heavy fraction containing compounds boiling at at least 350° C.,
• c) a stage of maturation of the heavy fraction originating from the separation stage b) converting a part of the potential sediments to existing sediments, carried out for a duration comprised between 60 to 240 minutes, at a temperature comprised between 50 and 350° C., and at a pressure of less than 20 MPa,
• d) separating the sediments from the heavy fraction originating from the maturation stage c) in order to obtain said heavy fraction wherein the stage c) of maturation of the heavy fraction originating from stage b) is carried out in the presence of an oxidizing gas or in the presence of a mixture of an inert gas and an oxidizing gas.