Biodesulfurization of Sour Crude Oil: An Advanced Study

Crude oil is one of the most important types of fossil fuel in the world. It is an economically important
commodity that is massively used in different fields of industrial activities. The poor quality of crude oil
is related to high sulfur content, which translates to lower profit margins and negatively impacts air
quality standards. Polyaromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) that exist in crude oil require an efficient
reduction method to achieve a significant desulfurization level. Recently, biodesulfurization (BDS) is
gaining greater attention attributed to its environmentally benign bioprocess; the possible benefits of
BDS include lower capital and processing costs. Studies have reported that BDS is urgently needed
for the desulfurization of recalcitrant organic sulfur than relative to a traditional approach,
hydrodesulfurization (HDS). The establishment of commercial-scale bio-refining technology relies
upon achieving major advancement in BDS, which concerning less expensive and sufficient
production of highly active and stable biocatalysts. These bacteria can be adapted to intense
conditions encountered in petroleum refineries. In this paper, a review on BDS processes for
removing recalcitrant thoiphenic components from sour crude oil is conducted, covering the aim of
most studies concerning desulfurizing bacteria, which enables deep desulfurization of organosulfur
compounds by 4S pathway, maintaining the caloric value of the fuel.