Oil is a resource that can be collected in different ways across the different maps in Ark and has a ton of uses.
Most of these uses involve the crafting of industrial structures as well as creating Gasoline, an important fuel for later on.
This resource, however, is not always easy to find and sometimes a player will need to go out of their way to obtain it.
How to Gather Oil?
Originally, one of the main sources of gathering oil is to collect it by mining oil deposits (black oil rocks) which are commonly found in cold areas or underwater.
Killing creatures such as Trilobite, Basilosaurus, Leech, and Enforcers to harvest their corpses will provide players with oil.
A dung beetle that has Feces placed in its inventory will generate Fertilizer as well as Oil over time, which is a good alternative when no sources are available.
If you have a tamed Tusoteuthis or Basilosaurus, these creatures will produce Oil in their inventory over time which you can collect, although these must be used right away as they have an expiration time.
Hesperornis Eggs can be used and turned into oil by cooking them in either a Cooking Pot or in an Industrial Cooker.
Oil may also be obtained by harvesting the dead Basilosaurus that lie near the shores in the plains on Ragnarok.
Also read our other guides of ARK:
- How to Get Giant Bee Honey
- How to Get Obsidian
- How to Get Cactus Sap
- How to Get Sand
- How to Get Amarberry
- How to Get Azulberry
- How to Get Mejoberry
- How to Get Stimberries
- How to Get Tintoberry
Oil Uses
Oil is mainly used for crafting structures and other resources, mostly used for when later phases are reached and when more advanced technology is learned.
Another use for Oil is creating jerky, this occurs when Oil is placed in a Preserving Bin along with Sparkpowder and a type of cooked meat.
Weapons
- Grenade
- Homing Underwater Mine
- Tripwire Alarm Trap
Tools
- Cryopod
- Spray Painter
Structures
- Industrial Cooker
- Industrial Forge
- Industrial Grill
- Industrial Grinder
- Fabricator
- Vault
Resources
- Absorbent Substrate
- Gasoline
- Propellant
- Re-Fertilizer
Consumables
- Cooked Meat Jerky
- Prime Meat Jerky
Other
- Jar of Pitch
- Silencer Attachment
- Soap
- Unassembled Enforcer
- Unassembled TEK Hover Skiff
Verdict
Without Oil, it will be impossible to proceed to higher technology, as an abundant supply is needed for several industrial items.
Oil is necessary for making Gasoline, which is used to power higher-tier structures that allow you to advance to later phases in the game.
While it is sometimes difficult to obtain Oil in the earlier stages of starting, you can easily obtain it later on when you have better modes of transportation.