The Oil Drum

If there was an ample supply of sour crude that was not being refined it would be offered for much less than $50.  It is not credible that the price would go down if sufficient sour crude refining capacity came on stream.  In Saudi Arabia sour crude comes from small fields that could be called leftovers.  There isn't a sour crude Ghawar.  In Russia, sour crude comes from old depleting fields, mainly in Tatarstan.  There is not a vast amount of sour crude available in contrast to totally degraded oil found in tar sands.