that the oxidation catalyst is not consumed and is preferably recycled for multiple rounds of oxidation in the oxidation step suitable oxidants include but are not limited to hydrogen peroxide ozone oxygen or air a particularly preferred oxidant is hydrogen peroxide following oxidation the oxidized sulfurous compounds are extracted from the reaction mixture methods that are suitable for extraction include fractional distillation extractive distillation adsorption or a combination of these typically polar solvents such as alcohols are used to u2018 wash u2019 the oxidized sulfurous compounds from the reaction mixture and for this purpose methanol is particularly preferred in this way a 60 70 reduction in the concentration of sulfur can be achieved after one washing methanol diffuses readily into the reaction mixture to form a homogeneous solution with the residual ethanol containing residual oxidized sulfurous compounds dissolved in oil subsequent induction of phase separation of the methanol from the reaction mixture draws the residual ethanol containing oxidized sulfurous compounds from the hydrocarbon fuel ultimately several washes of the reaction mixture with methanol can result in a hydrocarbon fuel that is substantially free of alcohols and oxidized sulfurous compounds in one embodiment of the present invention the desulfurization process can include the optional additional step of catalytic hydrogenation inclusion of a hydrogenation step prior to the oxidation step permits initial extraction of a significant proportion of the sulfur from the hydrocarbon fuel the inclusion of a hydrogenation step is particularly advantageous when the initial fuel comprises high levels of sulfur in this way hydrogenation can remove a portion of the sulfur in the majority of the contaminant compounds these compounds include sulfur at positions that are not sterically hindered and are therefore amenable to direct hydrogenation thus resulting in the generation of hydrogen sulfide the resulting oil.