Springvalley gets its oil industry. I pick a small oil field near existing highway links and the cargo airport, away from homes. The rail exits from the cargo hub split into a line out of town and one to the other industries, a truck loop and an industrial road lead in, and wind turbines power it. Oil rigs, processing plants, workers' barracks, warehouses and fire, police and hospital cover follow, with gathering kept separate from processing. Trucks flood in, outgoing trains get stuck at the map border, and I forgot to switch on unlimited oil.
What happens in this episode
The last two episodes made the train lines more visible. A small new station might become Chapantown. Springvalley has farming and forestry, and now it’s time for oil and ore.
How it was built
Choosing the field
With the natural resources info view on, I compare options. A large oil field sits next to Barlow District and Foggy Heights, and the pollution would be a worry. Another option would mean cutting down a forest. A small field near the cargo airport wins. It has highway links already, only some farm services need relocating, and it’s close to the hub for exports. Oil is power-hungry, so more wind turbines will be needed. I also want to keep tracks above ground, so you can see what the trains are doing.
Splitting the rail
The tracks and tunnels go. The two rail exits from the cargo hub become two separate lines: one out of the city, one across the river to the other industries. With the slope tool and the Network Multitool, the river crossing gets a smoother slope. My first try only created a loop. Highway overpasses are rebuilt at 6 m and 3 m, the on and off ramps almost from scratch, and the line to the airport gets a straight route out of town.
Roads into the field
An industrial road leads straight to the cargo hub, with a truck loop: in on one side, out on the other, onto a four-lane road. I first painted the wrong kind of district, so I deleted it and set up a proper oil industry area. Water pipes follow the roads, which Cities: Skylines II will handle automatically. Plenty of workers’ barracks go in.
Power and processing
Advanced wind turbines go into the riverbed, rearranged to leave room for a future ferry. Then come oil rigs, a pyrolysis plant, a petrochemical plant and plastics production, with gathering kept apart from processing. The sheer number of trucks is massive. A small bridge wasn’t enough to carry power across. This area has its own grid, separate from downtown. Fire, police and hospitals go in, because oil means fire hazards and crime.
Unlimited oil
The first wells already ran dry. I’ll enable unlimited oil in the game options, because I don’t want to move the industry around.
Traffic
The fixes:
- one-way roads through the field;
- extra nodes so trucks can change lanes;
- lane arrows that keep trucks from each side in their own lane.
There’s no one-lane one-way industrial road in the game, which makes lane math hard.
Trains stuck at the border
Outgoing cargo trains got stuck at the map border, blocking passenger trains too. Others have reported this issue. I’ll find the fix for next time. Some oil trains reach the airport hub. The cargo airport is overwhelmed: planes can’t find a free stand, so it will need expanding. I’d forgotten warehouses for petroleum and plastics, so those go in at the end.
Video chapters
- 00:01Where should the oil go?
- 04:02Visible tracks and power needs
- 08:28Splitting the rail lines
- 12:58A route out of town and a truck loop
- 16:59District, water and barracks
- 21:05Wind turbines and processing plants
- 25:37A separate power grid
- 31:04One-way roads and lane changes
- 35:18Trains stuck at the border
- 39:34The cargo airport is overwhelmed
- 43:41Petroleum and plastics storage
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Where should an oil industry go in Cities Skylines?
On an oil resource away from homes, because it pollutes, with good highway and rail access. Next to an existing cargo hub is ideal for exporting oil, petroleum and plastics.
Why are there so many trucks in an oil district?
Every rig, processing plant and warehouse generates trucks. Separate gathering from processing and use one-way roads so they don't block each other.
Why do my oil wells run dry?
Natural resources are finite unless you enable unlimited oil and ore in the game options.