Catalytic vacuum residue upgrading under methane: Evaluation of process feasibility, stability and versatility

•A catalytic vacuum residue upgrading process under methane is realized.•The operation is performed in a 20 L/d fixed bed reactor over a tailored catalyst.•The process feasibility is confirmed by improved oil qualities from all aspects.•High operational stability is validated in the 60-day long-term run.•The technique is also successfully applied to other heavy oil feedstocks.