Sweet crude oil

[1][2] Petroleum containing higher levels of sulfur is called sour crude oil.

[3] Sweet crude oil contains small amounts of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

High-quality, low-sulfur crude oil is commonly used for processing into gasoline and is in high demand, particularly in industrialized nations.

Nineteenth-century prospectors would taste and smell small quantities of oil to determine its quality.

[4] Producers of sweet crude oil include: The term "price of oil", as used in the U.S. media, generally means the cost per barrel (42 U.S. gallons) of West Texas Intermediate Crude, to be delivered to Cushing, Oklahoma during the upcoming month.

In the Annual Energy Outlook crude type estimates, all Alaska and Gulf of Mexico oil production is assumed to be API gravity 27-35 degrees and medium sour. Northeast crude oil production consists of approximately 30% API 27-35 medium-sour and 60% API 35-40 sour. The residual production is API 35-40 sweet. West Coast region production, coming from California, is primarily API<27 sour. Per the "Regions and crude types" discussion above, California production is categorized by its own crude type.