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Sour crude oil
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<p>Sour crude oil is <a href="/facts/Petroleum/IQV0bHVd">crude oil</a> containing a high amount of the impurity <a href="/facts/Sulfur/IK0amTfM">sulfur</a>. It is common to find crude oil containing some impurities. When the total sulfur level in the oil is more than 0.5% (by weight), the oil is called "sour". </p><p>The impurities need to be removed before this lower-quality crude can be refined into <a href="/facts/Petrol/lcnxq5BS">petrol</a>, thereby increasing the cost of processing. This results in a higher-priced gasoline than that made from <a href="/facts/Sweet_crude_oil/4w8l2wST">sweet crude oil</a>. </p><p>Current environmental regulations in the United States strictly limit the sulfur content in refined fuels such as <a href="/facts/Diesel_fuel/lm71xc19">diesel</a> and <a href="/facts/Gasoline/lcnxq5BS">gasoline</a>. </p><p>The majority of the sulfur in crude oil occurs bonded to carbon atoms, with a small amount occurring as elemental sulfur in solution and as <a href="/facts/Hydrogen_sulfide/UbCqjMMk">hydrogen sulfide</a> gas. Sour oil can be toxic and corrosive, especially when the oil contains higher levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is a breathing hazard. At low concentrations the gas gives the oil the smell of rotting eggs. For safety reasons, sour crude oil needs to be <a href="/facts/Stabilizer_(chemistry)/lcQGnRUL">stabilized</a> by having hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) removed from it before being transported by <a href="/facts/Oil_tankers/WHUhISVB">oil tankers</a>. </p><p>Since sour crude is more common than sweet crude in the U.S. part of the <a href="/facts/Gulf_of_Mexico/bGE5s57G">Gulf of Mexico</a>, <a href="/facts/Platts/nQ9xmmf1">Platts</a> has come out in March 2009 with a new sour crude <a href="/facts/Benchmark_(crude_oil)/KbeEC11r">benchmark</a> (<a href="/facts/Oil_marker/KbeEC11r">oil marker</a>) called "Americas Crude Marker (ACM)". <a href="/facts/Dubai_Crude/PqGChgMg">Dubai Crude</a> and Oman Crude, both sour crude oils, have been used as a <a href="/facts/Benchmark_(crude_oil)/KbeEC11r">benchmark (crude oil)</a> <a href="/facts/Oil_marker/KbeEC11r">oil marker</a> for <a href="/facts/Middle_East/8CD6pLWv">Middle East</a> crude oils for some time. </p><p>The major producers of sour crude oil include: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/North_America/djNjCQIl">North America</a>: <a href="/facts/Alberta/PjKJFbJY">Alberta</a> (<a href="/facts/Canada/cWWFM8oc">Canada</a>), <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>' portion of the <a href="/facts/Gulf_of_Mexico/bGE5s57G">Gulf of Mexico</a>, <a href="/facts/Alaska/LlDNr2uR">Alaska</a> and <a href="/facts/Mexico/IT5bwhdh">Mexico</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/South_America/PhrFEMk7">South America</a>: <a href="/facts/Venezuela/eX1qnkln">Venezuela</a>, <a href="/facts/Colombia/nl7r8Q2u">Colombia</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ecuador/Tdv7czY4">Ecuador</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Middle_East/8CD6pLWv">Middle East</a>: <a href="/facts/Saudi_Arabia/uyUpe1J2">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="/facts/Iraq/pqYSFJw8">Iraq</a>, <a href="/facts/Kuwait/HJLFQ59s">Kuwait</a>, <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a>, <a href="/facts/Syria/7pDXGzq8">Syria</a>, and <a href="/facts/Egypt/8Ttg0JwB">Egypt</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Europe/DTAtrKfh">Europe</a>: <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russian</a> <a href="/facts/Volga_region/yE3fn8aD">Volga region</a> and the <a href="/facts/Urals_oil/W9CYSrTE">Urals</a></li></ul>