Naphthenic acids and sulfur containing compounds in crude oils are corrosive at high temperature and have been strong concerns for potential corrosion damage on the atmospheric distillation unit vacuum distillation unit transfer lines and side cut piping in the refining industry. Naphthenic acids and sulfur compounds induced corrosion is influenced by a number of critical factors including concentration and molecular characteristics of naphthenic acids and sulfur compounds process temperature oil flowing velocity and wall shear stress. This paper will comparatively and comprehensively review the influence of crude oil chemistry on naphthenic acid corrosion the sulfidation of sulfur compound to the protectiveness of the iron sulfide scale and the ability to resist naphthenic acid corrosion with sulfur speciation including molecular weight molecular structure molecular size molecular boiling point as well as operation parameters of temperature shear stress and alloys. The paper will also provide limited results and important trends from recent research from a Joint Industry Program conducted by the authors and contrast experimental results with dominant themes from comparative literature.