Contact of a crude feed with a hydrogen source in the presence of an inorganic salt catalyst produces a total product that includes a crude product. The crude feed has a residue content of at least 0.2 grams of residue per gram of crude feed. The inorganic salt catalyst may include one or more alkali metals. The crude product is a liquid mixture at 25.degree. C. and 0.101 MPa. One or more properties of the crude product may be changed by at least 10% relative to the respective properties of the crude feed.