Mid-game Palworld players often hit a wall when they need crude oil to craft advanced items like high-grade furnaces, polymer, and electric tools. Most low-level biomes don’t have any crude oil nodes, so players end up searching for hours for a reliable source of this rare resource. If you’re one of those players, learning how to get to oil rig Palworld will solve all your crude oil shortages in one go. This guide is based on dozens of runs to the rig, so all tips are tested and proven to work for both solo and co-op players.
Preparations You Need Before Traveling to the Oil Rig
The oil rig is located in a high-level area, so you don’t want to show up underprepared. I made that mistake on my first run, showed up at level 25 with a party of low-level Pals, and got wiped out by a random pirate ship 30 seconds into the sea trip. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration if you take 10 minutes to gather the right gear before you leave.
First, make sure your character is at least level 32, and your party has an average level of 35 or higher. You’ll run into hostiles both on the way to the coast and on the rig itself, so you need enough firepower to defend yourself if you get attacked. Don’t rely solely on your Pals to fight for you – bring a high-grade rifle or bow to take out distant human enemies on the rig’s platforms.
You’ll also need a few core items to make the trip smooth. Here’s my go-to packing list for every oil rig run:
- Level 35+ party with at least one water-type Pal for fast sea travel (Azurobe or Surfent work best, as they have high speed and good combat stats)
- Full set of heat-resistant armor if you plan to cut through the volcanic biome to reach the coast faster
- 20+ high-grade healing potions and 10+ Pal revival fruits to handle unexpected fights
- Grappling gun and glider for navigating the rig’s elevated platforms and avoiding falls into the sea
- At least 20 empty inventory slots to carry back the crude oil and rare drops you’ll find on the rig
You don’t need to bring building materials unless you plan to set up a temporary storage chest on the rig. Permanent bases don’t work well here, so don’t waste resources on walls or foundations when you arrive.
Exact Route to Follow to Get to Oil Rig Palworld
There are two main routes to the oil rig, depending on which fast travel points you’ve already unlocked. The first route is best for new players who haven’t explored the volcanic biome yet, and the second is faster for players who’ve already unlocked the volcanic coast fast travel point.
For new players, start at the Small Settlement fast travel point in the central grassland biome. Head directly southwest, sticking to the open paths to avoid running into high-level alpha Pals in the forested areas. You’ll reach the Deserted Beach after about 8 minutes of walking. Once you’re at the beach, summon your water-type Pal and sail directly west. Stay as close to the surface of the water as possible to avoid drawing the attention of flying hostile Pals that patrol the sea airspace. You’ll see the large metal structure of the oil rig come into view after about 2 minutes of sailing.
If you’ve already unlocked the Volcanic Coast fast travel point, this route cuts your travel time in half. Spawn at the fast travel point, then head directly south to the coast. Stay 50 meters away from the glowing volcanic rock formations along the way, as they spawn level 40+ Lavaun and Blazamut that can one-shot low-level players and Pals. Once you hit the coast, summon your water Pal and sail west for 1 minute to reach the rig.
Whichever route you take, keep an eye out for pirate ships along the way. They spawn randomly in the western sea, and their cannon fire can take out half your health in one hit. If you see a pirate ship, just sail around it in a wide arc – they won’t chase you for more than 30 seconds.
What to Expect When You First Arrive at the Oil Rig
Don’t jump onto the rig as soon as you see it. Pull up to the small rocky outcrop just east of the rig first, and take a minute to scope out the enemy spawns. The rig is patrolled by level 35 to 45 syndicate members with guns, as well as hostile Pals like Robinquill and Grizzbolt that spawn on the lower platforms.
You’ll notice that the rig has three main levels. The lowest level is right above the water, with several crude oil nodes and a few patrolling enemies. The middle level has more crude oil nodes, plus a few small storage crates with random loot. The highest platform has a golden chest that drops rare crafting schematics for late-game items like electric generators and high-grade processing units. I’ve gotten three legendary tool schematics from that chest over my runs, so it’s always worth climbing up to open it.
One thing to watch out for is the lack of guard rails on most of the rig’s platforms. It’s really easy to slip off the edge while you’re fighting or mining, and if you fall into the sea, you’ll almost always get attacked by a level 40+ Surfent that spawns under the rig. Use your grappling gun to move between platforms instead of jumping, and you’ll avoid this issue entirely.
The rig also has a 10-minute respawn timer for enemies and resources. That means if you stay longer than 10 minutes, you’ll have to fight a whole new wave of enemies, and the crude oil nodes won’t respawn until you leave and come back later. I usually set a timer on my phone when I arrive, so I know when it’s time to head back before I get overwhelmed.
Pro Tips for Farming Resources Safely at the Oil Rig
If you’re running the rig solo, the best strategy is to bring a high-level tank Pal like Mammorest or Anubis to tank enemy damage while you mine. Set your tank Pal to aggressive mode, then leave it on the middle platform to draw all the enemy spawns. You can run around the lower and middle platforms mining crude oil while your Pal handles the fighting, and you won’t get interrupted at all.
For co-op groups, split up roles to make the run way faster. Have one player handle crowd control with a shotgun or area-of-effect Pal skills, another player focus entirely on mining crude oil, and a third player climb up to the highest platform to open the golden chest and collect rare loot. We once cleared the entire rig and filled three full inventories of crude oil in 7 minutes with this setup, which is way faster than solo runs.
You can also place a small wooden chest and a simple bed on the eastern edge of the rig’s lowest platform. This gives you a respawn point right on the rig if you die, so you don’t have to sail all the way back from the mainland. Just don’t build any more structures than that – syndicate members will attack any permanent bases you build here, and you’ll waste all your resources repairing damage every time you come back.
One last tip: don’t bother fighting every enemy on the rig. Most of them only drop common loot like bullets or low-grade metal, so it’s not worth wasting your healing items and Pal durability on them. Only fight enemies that are directly in your way, and ignore the rest to save time.
Crude oil is one of the most important late-game resources in Palworld, and the oil rig is by far the most reliable source of it in the game. Now that you know how to get to oil rig Palworld, you can stop wasting hours searching for random crude oil nodes in random biomes and start stockpiling all the oil you need for advanced builds. Just remember to pack the right gear, stick to the route, and don’t stay too long on the rig if you don’t want to get overwhelmed by respawning enemies. Even if your first run doesn’t go perfectly, you’ll get the hang of it after a couple of trips, and you’ll be swimming in crude oil in no time.