WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Oil Shale in the Desert
In the Desert, below Oil Deposit surface nodes in the stone layer at roughly 20 blocks down; Desert caves may expose deposits.
Before you go
- A pickaxe or Auger for the hard ore.
- Access to a Chemistry Station to craft shale into Gas.
- Heat protection and enough inventory space for a large deposit haul.
Farming steps
- 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.
- 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.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.
