This page is intended to help understand how to navigate the petrochemical refining tree and rush toward Big Oil (i.e. Oil Derricks). Remember there are many, many side projects that can be undertaken with many of the chemical that result from the refining process. During a first play through, we recommend teching up toward big oil sooner, rather than later, so many of these recipes can be explored with larger volumes of chemicals. Some of the trivial steps have been omitted from this big picture checklist. Please refer to the specific wiki pages if you get stuck during the refining process.
Abbreviated Checklist Toward Big Oil
Step 1: Build a Distillation Column.
Step 2: Gather at least 16 buckets of crude oil from a surface oilfield.
Step 3: Distill the buckets of crude oil into [[Beaker (Crude Oil))|beakers of crude oil].
Step 4: Distill the beakers of crude oil into BTX, Naphtha and Gas Oil.
Step 5: Distill the Napthta into heavy and light naptha.
Step 6: Process Low Grade Rubbers (and make gaskets and hoses) and build a Steam Cracker.
Step 7: Crack the Heavy Naphtha into components including light olefins and butadiene.
Step 8: Distill the Light Olefins into propylene and ethylene.
Step 9: Use the Butadiene to make Medium Grade Rubbers and make a Merox Treatment Plant. Use Coal to help make the hydrogen that is needed.
Step 10: Use the Merox facility to make sweet propane and make a Chemical Processor.
Step 11: Use the Chemical Processor to make High Grade Rubbers (and a High Pressure Regulator).
Step 12: Use the Propylene to make Plastic Chests.
Step 13: Make an Oil Derrick and place it on an Oil Field Block on the Bedrock Level 5.