Slurry hydroconversion catalysts

A method for forming a slurry catalyst, comprising:

• dispersing a first non-sulfur-containing catalyst precursor comprising iron in a hydrocarbonaceous material comprising a heavy oil fraction, the hydrocarbonaceous material further comprising a sulfided molybdenum catalyst, an amount of molybdenum in the sulfided molybdenum catalyst in the hydrocarbonaceous material being about 250 wppm or less, based on inclusion of the catalyst/system into a heavy oil feedstock to be hydroconverted;
• and
• sulfiding the first catalyst precursor to form a sulfided catalyst system, and
• contacting the sulfided catalyst system with hydrogen gas and a sulfur source comprising hydrogen sulfide and/or elemental sulfur to form an activated catalyst system,
• wherein a weight ratio of the iron to the molybdenum in the sulfided catalyst system is at least about 10.

An activated catalyst system formed by a method comprising:

• dispersing a first catalyst precursor comprising iron and a second catalyst precursor comprising molybdenum in a hydrocarbonaceous material comprising a heavy oil fraction, an amount of the molybdenum in the second catalyst precursor in the hydrocarbonaceous material being about 75 wppm to about 250 wppm, based on inclusion of the catalyst/system into a heavy oil feedstock to be hydroconverted, a weight ratio of the iron in the first catalyst precursor to the molybdenum in the second catalyst precursor in the hydrocarbonaceous material being about 10 to about 30;
• sulfiding the first catalyst precursor and the second catalyst precursor to form the sulfided catalyst system;
• and
• contacting the sulfided catalyst system with a sulfur source and hydrogen gas under conditions sufficient to form an activated catalyst system.

An activated catalyst system formed by a method comprising:

• dispersing a first non-sulfur-containing catalyst precursor comprising iron in a hydrocarbonaceous material comprising a heavy oil fraction, the hydrocarbonaceous material further comprising a sulfided molybdenum catalyst, an amount of the molybdenum in the sulfided molybdenum catalyst in the feedstock being about 75 wppm to about 250 wppm, based on inclusion of the catalyst/system into a heavy oil feedstock to be hydroconverted;
• sulfiding the first catalyst precursor to form a sulfided catalyst system;
• and
• contacting the sulfided catalyst system with a sulfur source and hydrogen gas under conditions sufficient to form an activated catalyst system,
• wherein a weight ratio of the iron to the molybdenum in the sulfided catalyst system is from about 10 to about 30.