FIELD: petroleum processing and petrochemistry. SUBSTANCE: method involves atmospheric distillation of crude petroleum, joint hydrodesulfurization of obtained distillates in reactor in presence of hydrogenation catalyst at 310 to 370 C and pressure 30 to 70 kg/sq.cm (first hydrogenation step), and hydrodesulfurization at lower temperatures (second hydrogenation step).When the second hydrogenation step is conducted for only heavy naphtha obtained from separation of distillates issuing from the first hydrogenation step, process temperature may lie within a range of 250 to 400 C. Hydrodesulfurization conducted for each fraction (petroleum lighting gas, kerosene, heavy naphtha, and light naphtha) can also be performed in one common process. EFFECT: enhanced process efficiency. 11 cl, 5 dwg, 4 tbl, 8 ex
