Oil Tycoon! factory upgrade costs
Every factory-side purchase in Oil Tycoon!, with the price verified against live gameplay on 28 September 2026.
Pairs with: Setting up your factory · Factory Budget Calculator · Asphalt Factory
Core line
| Purchase | Price | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor segment | $10 | Links a path stretch |
| Clear obstacle | $25 | Opens blocked route pieces |
| Path door | $50 | Unlocks a new plot section |
| Upgrader | $250 | $23 → $33 per unit |
| Drill worker | $670 | Automates drilling input |
Mid game
| Purchase | Price | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Tank upgrade | ~$1,600 seen in play | Bigger buffer before stalls |
| Cash-out node | $7,000 | Mine-related payout node |
| Rig/claim nodes | $8,000 seen in play | New route claims |
| Oil extractor | $50,000 | Major steady income |
Late game
Not worth listing as income
Cosmetics — flood lights, beach chairs, glass doors, dock furniture, the $100 mug (capacity only). They are real purchases and they change no numbers.
The full purchase list
| Purchase | Price | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor segment | $10 | Extends the route |
| Clear obstacle | $25 | Opens space on the plot |
| Path door | $50 | Access between plot areas |
| Upgrader | $250 | Raises value per unit — pays back under a minute |
| Drill worker | $670 | First real automation |
| Tank upgrade | $7,000 | Larger throughput on the line |
| Cash-out node | — | Sale point access |
| Rig / claim nodes | — | Plot expansion |
| Oil extractor | $50,000 | Mid-late volume |
| Golden drop monument | $700,000 | Verified: no mechanical effect |
Core line, mid game, late game
Core line is everything up to the drill worker: the route itself plus the one purchase that makes each unit worth more. Buy in that order and the line pays for the rest.
Mid game starts at the tank upgrade and runs to the oil extractor. The question changes from "how do I earn" to "where does the line stall" — spend on the stage that backs up, not on the cheapest item.
Late game is the extractor, the monument, and the asphalt branch. The extractor only earns when the line runs unattended, so it comes after workers. The monument does not earn at all — it is a status purchase, and the calculator deliberately leaves it out of payback math.
Not worth listing as income
The monument, the path doors and obstacle clearing cost money without returning any. They belong in the budget as costs, not investments — the budget calculator only recommends purchases that earn.
Verified versus assumed
The table above mixes what the game states with what players measured. Here is the split:
- Verified directly in-game: prices, the upgrader's payback under a minute on an active line, and the monument having no mechanical effect.
- Observed, not stated: the $7,000 tank band and the $50,000 extractor — live-play figures that can move. The updates page flags any change.
- Never verified: any claim that cosmetics affect income. No evidence, no mechanism.
Payback thinking
For any purchase, ask how many seconds until it pays for itself:
| Purchase | Payback logic |
|---|---|
| Upgrader ($250) | Under a minute on an active line — buy on sight |
| Drill worker ($670) | Pays in unattended time; worthless if the route stalls alone |
| Tank upgrade ($7,000 band) | Pays only where piles form — no pile, no payback |
| Oil extractor ($50,000) | Pays only into an unattended, balanced line |
Early purchases pay in minutes; late purchases pay only if conditions are right — hence the calculator recommends by tier, not price.
FAQ
What does every factory upgrade cost?
The core list runs from the $10 conveyor segment and $25 obstacle clearing through the $250 upgrader, $670 drill worker and $50,000 oil extractor up to the $700,000 golden drop monument.
Which listed purchase does nothing mechanically?
The golden drop monument — verified as having no mechanical effect. It is a status purchase, not income.
