(a) contacting a hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream with finely divided solid sorbent particulates comprising a reduced-valence promoter metal component and zinc oxide in a fluidized bed reactor vessel under desulfurization conditions sufficient to remove sulfur from said hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream and convert at least a portion of said zinc oxide to zinc sulfide, thereby providing a desulfurized hydrocarbon-containing stream and sulfur-loaded sorbent particulates;

(b) simultaneously with step (a), contacting at least a portion of said hydrocarbon-containing stream and said sorbent particulates with a series of substantially horizontal, vertically spaced baffle groups comprising a plurality of substantially parallel baffles each presenting a generally V-shaped cross-section, thereby reducing axial dispersion in said fluidized bed reactor;

(c) contacting said sulfur-loaded sorbent particulates with an oxygen containing regeneration stream in a regenerator vessel under regeneration conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said zinc sulfide to zinc oxide, thereby providing regenerated sorbent particulates comprising an unreduced promoter metal component; and

(d) contacting said regenerated sorbent particulates with a hydrogen-containing reducing stream in a reducer vessel under reducing conditions sufficient to reduce said unreduced promoter metal component, thereby providing reduced sorbent particulates.