what is sweet and sour crude
DEFINITION of 'Sweet Crude'. A type of oil that meets certain content requirements, including low levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Sweet crude gets its name if it contains less than 0.5% sulfur. Refiners prefer sweet crudes because of the low sulfur content and relatively elevated yields of high-value products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil and jet fuel.
Sour crude oil. Sour crude oil is crude oil containing a high amount of the impurity sulfur. It is common to find crude oil containing some impurities. When the total sulfur level in the oil is more than 0.5% the oil is called sour.