Hydroprocessing catalysts were prepared using fibrillar alumina and attapulgite as carrier materials and nickel and molybdenum as active substances. With fibrillar alumina as primary particles, a carrier material was obtained which combined a large surface area (138 m(2)/g) with a large average pore diameter (252 Angstrom). Due to side-by-side association of the fibers, attapulgite did not yield a catalyst carrier with as large pores as was expected. The catalysts were tested for hydroprocessing of an atmospheric petroleum resid, and the results were compared with those obtained for a commercial catalyst with similar loading of nickel and molybdenum. The catalyst prepared using fibrillar alumina as carrier material was more active than the commercial catalyst for hydrodemetalization, equally active for hydrodesulfurization, and less active for hydrodenitrogenation. The catalyst prepared using attapulgite as carrier material was inferior to the other two catalysts in all respects.