In the shadowed depths of 99 Nights in the Forest, survival is more than just keeping yourself fed—it’s about keeping the darkness at bay. A flickering campfire is your first ally, but as the nights stretch on, a few wooden logs won’t always cut it. This is where the Oil Drill comes into play, a game-changing piece of machinery that ensures your flame never dies out.
If you’ve ever found yourself frantically chopping trees at dusk or watching your last log vanish into the embers, this guide will walk you through how to craft, place, and fully utilize the Oil Drill to fuel your survival.
What is the Oil Drill in 99 Nights in the Forest?
Before we get into the nuts and bolts, let’s answer the burning question: why bother building an Oil Drill?
Fuel is the lifeblood of your survival in 99 Nights in the Forest. In the early game, logs will keep your campfire alive, but they burn out quickly. Once the fire dies, the forest claims its advantage—monsters like the ever-persistent Deer have a much easier time tracking and attacking you in the darkness.
The Oil Drill grants you a steady stream of oil barrels, which are far more efficient than wood. Oil not only keeps your campfires roaring longer but also frees up your time for exploring, hunting, and upgrading your base, rather than endlessly gathering wood.
How to Unlock and Craft the Oil Drill?
Crafting the Oil Drill in 99 Nights in the Forest isn’t something you can do on your first night. It’s a mid-game goal that requires upgrading your crafting station and hunting down rarer resources.’

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:
1. Upgrade Your Crafting Bench to Tier 4
You can’t craft the Oil Drill until your Crafting Bench reaches Tier 4, the highest tier. To upgrade from Tier 3, you’ll need:
- 30 Wooden Logs – Chop down nearby trees.
- 20 Bolts – Found in wooden sheds or as general loot around the forest.
- 2 Cultist Gems – Dropped by Cultist enemies (both melee and crossbow variants).
Once you’ve upgraded to Tier 4, the blueprint for the Oil Drill will be unlocked.
2. Gather the Crafting Materials
The Oil Drill requires a moderate grind for materials:
| Item | How to Obtain |
| 25 Wooden Logs | Chop trees in the nearby forest |
| 35 Bolts | Loot from sheds, boxes, or scattered scrap |
| 1 Cultist Gem | Dropped from Cultist enemies upon defeat |
Tip: Cultist Gems are the bottleneck here. Keep your campfire burning when hunting Cultists—nighttime fights are risky without light.
3. Craft and Place the Oil Drill
Once you’ve got the materials, craft the Oil Drill at your Tier 4 Crafting Bench. After crafting:
- Choose a safe, open area near your base to place it.
- Start the drilling process, and over time, it will produce Oil Barrels—your long-term fuel source.
Using the Oil Drill and Oil Barrels
The Oil Drill’s function is elegantly simple: it extracts oil over time, providing Oil Barrels that can replace logs in your campfire.
- Oil Barrels last much longer than wooden logs, meaning you’ll need fewer trips into the forest.
- Having a steady supply of fuel allows you to focus on gathering advanced resources, building fortifications, or exploring dangerous areas without worrying about your base going dark.
Tips for Maximizing Your Oil Drill Benefits in 99 Nights in the Forest
- Protect Your Drill – Place it inside your fortified base or fence off the area; wandering enemies can damage it.
- Stockpile Early – Even if you have plenty of logs, start producing oil barrels as soon as possible.
- Use Oil Wisely – Prioritize campfires during long nights or high-danger periods when enemies are most aggressive.
In the relentless survival dance of 99 Nights in the Forest, the Oil Drill saves you from frantic nighttime wood chopping and vulnerable moments when the fire flickers out. With this machine humming in your base, you trade labor for security—a small mechanical heartbeat that keeps your nights lit and the monsters at bay.
Survive the nights, keep the fire alive, and let the Oil Drill do the heavy lifting.
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