INTRODUCTIONThe hydroprocessing technology was first developed in Germany by BASF in the 1920s, for hydrogenation of brown coal tar in one step into gasoline without coke formation. It was found that cobalt, molybdenum and tungsten sulfides were especially active catalysts (1). Later a low-temperature " T H " process was developed for the same reaction, using activated alumina supported catalysts containing either 10% Mo03-3% NiO or 27% WS23% NiS. The very same compositions are still used today in many commercial hydrotreating (HDT) catalysts! During the development of these catalysts, the effect of various oxide supports on the cracking of gas oil was studied. The following order of cracking activity was found :