Sour Crude

Sour Crude

The name given to barrels of crude oil that do not meet certain content requirements, such as low levels of sulfur and hydrogen.

Notes:

Sour crude future contracts are not as popular as sweet crude oil contracts, as this type of oil is harder to refine compared to sweet crude.

Sour crude has the smell of rotten eggs when the levels of hydrogen and sulfur are non-toxic. However, when the levels become poisonous, the smell is unapparent.

See also: Commodity, Crack Spread, Futures, Sweet Crude