Naphtha samples derived from the liquefaction of a bituminous Illinois No. 6 and a subbituminous Black Thunder coal were hydrotreated using commercial Co-Mo/Al2O3, Ni-Mo/Al2O3, and Ni-W/Al2O3 catalysts. It was easier to remove the N, O, and S heteroatoms from Illinois No. 6 naphtha than from the Black Thunder naphtha. Nitrogen and oxygen were more difficult to remove than sulfur in the temperature range 200-400-degrees-C. Considerable differences in catalyst activity for the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reactions were observed. The Ni-Mo catalyst was found to be the most active catalyst for the HDN and HDO reactions and the least active catalyst for the HDS. The Co-Mo catalyst was the most active catalyst for the sulfur removal. For the Illinois No. 6 naphtha, a first-order reaction applies for the HDN and HDO reactions for all three catalysts. However, for the Black Thunder naphtha, the first-order reaction applies only at the lower space velocities; a large deviation is observed at higher space velocities.