Biocrude can be produced through the direct thermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass. This biocrude can then be further upgraded in conventional petroleum refineries to produce transportation fuels. This study presents a process for converting rice husk into biocrude using light cycle oil (LCO), a refinery stream, as the solvent while optimizing key liquefaction parameters in a batch autoclave reactor. Additionally, guaiacol was introduced into LCO to enhance biomass conversion and improve biocrude yield. Liquefaction experiments showed that LCO alone yielded ~ 70 wt% liquid (biocrude) at 280 ^◦C with a 1 min reaction time. The addition of guaiacol (50:50 by weight with LCO) significantly increased the liquid yield to ~ 84 wt% at the same process conditions. The liquid yield further increased to 87 wt% when the reaction time increased to 20 mins. TGA analysis revealed that LCO alone primarily liquefied volatile matter, whereas the LCO-guaiacol mixture also facilitated fixed carbon liquefaction. Elemental analysis indicated a more than twofold increase in higher heating value and a 50 % reduction in oxygen content in the biocrude compared to the feed rice husk. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis confirmed the presence of very high-molecular-weight compounds. These findings highlight the potential of LCO-based solvent systems for efficient biomass liquefaction and refinery-compatible biofuel production.