Oil is the richest and messiest resource in the game. Every oil recipe makes byproducts that must go somewhere.
Why this matters
Plastic, rubber, and fuel all come from oil, and each leaves residue. A factory without a byproduct plan backs up and dies.
Step-by-step
- Set up an oil extractor on an oil node.
- Choose the oil recipe your lines need.
- Run crude oil through refineries.
- Route plastic or rubber to their lines.
- Send heavy oil residue to a refinery or sink.
- Package fuel for vehicles if needed.
- Keep a sink for any leftover byproduct.
- Balance the whole chain to the slowest step.
Tips
- Residue can make fuel or plastic — use it
- Packaged fuel loops canisters back
- Sinks absorb anything you cannot use
- Balance refineries to the slowest output
Practical notes
Every oil recipe makes a byproduct, and the byproduct is what kills oil bases. Route residue to a refinery to make fuel or more plastic, or sink it, but never leave it without an outlet. A backed-up byproduct pipe stops the refinery and the whole chain behind it.
Balance the chain to its slowest step, since oil recipes rarely run at the same rate. Keep a sink point for anything leftover, and buffer the products before the lines that consume them. Package fuel for vehicles only after the stationary lines are stable.
Keep a sink point for leftover byproduct, and the chain never jams.
Balance the chain to its slowest step, since oil recipes rarely run at one rate.
Common mistakes
- Residue with no outlet
- Refineries faster than consumers
- No sink for surplus
- Forgetting the canister loop