The Last Caretaker · Guide

Find Oil in The Last Caretaker – All Sources and Locations

Where to get oil in The Last Caretaker: Exodus Station, the hidden room at Refuel Outpost Theta, Black Vein Station, Jonah Whales and the Recovery Grinder.

Published: September 12, 2026Game version: Update 5.5

Oil has been part of The Last Caretaker since the early versions. Over the course of Early Access, more ways to find the resource or produce it as a long-term supply have been added. This guide summarizes the currently documented options – from the first reserve at Exodus Station to unlimited extraction at Black Vein Station.

Quick facts

Exodus Station: around 2,000 litersLimited reserve, available early
Refuel Outpost Theta: 16,000 litersLimited reserve in the hidden room
Black Vein Station: UnlimitedRepair the Oil Pump and supply 60 kW
Jonah Whales: 10,000 liters per runRepeatable, at least 30 kW and a hose
Recovery Grinder: Small amountsBy-product of recycling

Show oil sources on the map

Exodus Station – around 2,000 liters to get started

Directly beneath the rocket are two regular Oil Tanks. Together, they contain around 2,000 liters of Oil in the observed starting state. This first reserve is available early and is useful when you’re getting started, but it is limited – it is not enough as a long-term supply.

Two Oil Tanks beneath the rocket at Exodus Station — The two Oil Tanks directly beneath the rocket at Exodus Station.

Show Exodus Station on the map

Refuel Outpost Theta – 16,000 liters in the hidden oil room

There is a hidden room beneath Refuel Outpost Theta. You can find the entrance while diving underneath the platform. Inside are exactly 16,000 liters of Oil. This is a very large one-time reserve, but it is not a renewable source.

Oil Tanks inside the hidden room beneath Refuel Outpost Theta — The hidden room beneath Refuel Outpost Theta contains a total of 16,000 liters of Oil.

Show Refuel Outpost Theta on the map

Black Vein Station – the unlimited oil source

Black Vein Station is the most important permanent stationary source of Oil. The source itself does not run dry, but the facility first has to be secured and brought back online.

Secure the facility
Clear the enemies from the area and establish safe access to the extraction facility.
Repair the Oil Pump
Repair the Oil Pump once.
Supply 60 kW
Provide the power required by the pump.
Connect storage
Connect the Oil Tanks or other oil storage you want to use.
Use the extraction system
Start the facility and route the extracted Oil into your storage.

On my last visit, the displayed extraction rate was around 26,000 liters per hour. The displayed flow rate can vary depending on the setup and connected storage – the important point is that the source itself does not deplete.

The oil extraction facility at Black Vein Station — Black Vein Station is the most important permanent source of Oil.

Show Black Vein Station on the map

Repair materials

Material	Amount
Iron	10
Rubber	5
Copper	4
Aluminium	4
Titanium	2
Carbon Fiber	4
Silicon	2
Neutronium	1

Jonah Whales – 10,000 liters per run

After making the corresponding progress in Project Jonah, the Jonah Whales can repeatedly be sent out on oil runs. After a successful run, the whale returns, you can collect the Oil and then start another run. This naturally means waiting for the whale to complete the run and return between collections.

A Jonah Whale at the water surface — Jonah Whales can repeatedly be sent out on oil runs.

A short hose attached to the oil outlet of a Jonah Whale — The oil connection on the Jonah Whale.

Charge the whale with at least 30 kW and leave a short piece of hose connected to the oil outlet. With this setup, it returns exactly 10,000 liters when used correctly. Without the hose, some of the Oil is lost or sprayed out when the whale surfaces; several hundred liters of loss have been observed, but there is no reliable exact amount.

The current map documents three areas: near Platform Omega east of the Shark Pools, around 50:1 between Refuel Outpost Gamma and Helios Reserve Orion, and around 119:38.

Show Jonah Whale areas on the map

Recovery Grinder – Oil as a by-product of recycling

The Recovery Grinder added with Update 5 is not a conventional oil source. It breaks materials and processed resources back down into simpler components; depending on the input, this can also produce small amounts of Oil. The process causes significant material loss, so it is not suitable as a primary supply.

One practical use is fuel production: processing Oil into Petrol or Diesel also produces Plastic. Surplus Plastic can be processed in the Recovery Grinder, returning some resources and a small amount of Oil. This is neither a closed loop nor particularly efficient, but it is more useful than simply stockpiling large amounts of Plastic.

The Recovery Grinder inside a player base — The Recovery Grinder produces Oil only as a by-product of recycling.

Which oil source makes sense when?

Early game: Exodus Station as your first reserve.
Large one-time need: Refuel Outpost Theta with 16,000 liters.
Long-term stationary supply: Black Vein Station.
Renewable alternative: Jonah Whales with 10,000 liters per run.
Recovering surplus materials: Recovery Grinder.

Black Vein Station is particularly useful for a permanent stationary supply. Jonah Whales are renewable as well, but their run-based system serves a different purpose. Which source works best therefore depends on your progress and the way your setup is built.