Oil Shale is the desert-gated fuel source for gas production.
PC / Global, current live version
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
In the Desert, below Oil Deposit surface nodes in the stone layer at roughly 20 blocks down; Desert caves may expose deposits.
Oil Shale is found only in the Desert and feeds a direct fuel chain: mine a deposit, then process the shale into Gas at a Chemistry Station. Deposits sit beneath marked Oil Deposit nodes in the stone layer, and Desert caves can expose them. This route applies to standard PC survival worlds; map generation and server settings affect where the Desert is located.
Access to a Chemistry Station to craft shale into Gas.
Heat protection and enough inventory space for a large deposit haul.
Travel to the Desert and look for an Oil Deposit surface node.
Mark the node so you can locate its position while digging.
Dig down from the marker until you reach the stone layer, roughly 20 blocks below the surface.
Mine the Oil Deposit blocks and collect the shale; check the exposed area for more deposit blocks.
If you find shale exposed in a Desert cave, mine it only when you can keep a safe exit route.
Carry the shale back to a Chemistry Station and craft it into Gas for your fuel supply.
Farming tips
A marked Oil Deposit can yield a large amount of shale, so make room in your inventory before mining.
Keep a clear path out of shafts and caves, and return to storage before your load slows the trip.
Repeat, collect and use
Mine another Desert deposit when your fuel stock needs replenishing. Each deposit is a finite ore source, so the amount available on a run depends on the accessible deposit blocks.
Common mistakes
Searching outside the Desert: Oil Shale is Desert-only, so concentrate the search there.
Stopping at the surface marker: the deposit is underground in the stone layer beneath it.
Planning to process shale without a Chemistry Station: arrange access first, then take the haul for Gas production.
When to stop or switch
Stop when you have enough shale for the fuel batch you need, or return to base when heat, carrying load, or cave safety makes continuing impractical.
