Efficient oil transportation is crucial for sustaining industry and keeping power plants operational in Anno 1800. As your cities expand, securing a steady oil supply from the New World to the Old World becomes a top priority. This guide will walk you through the process of extracting, storing, and transporting oil, ensuring a stable and optimized oil route for your empire.

---

Why is Oil Important?

Oil is the backbone of industrial growth and is primarily used for:

• Powering oil-fueled power plants (which drastically improve factory efficiency).
• Operating tractors, which significantly boost farm productivity.
• Supporting late-game expansion by keeping electricity-dependent structures running.

In the early game, oil production may not seem urgent, but as you unlock engineers and move towards investors, securing a constant oil flow is essential.

---

Step 1: Identifying Oil Sources in the New World

The New World is rich in oil deposits, making it the primary oil supplier for your empire. Here’s how to get started:

1. Establish an island dedicated to oil extraction.
2. Build Oil Refineries on top of the oil wells (each requires 75 Obreros).
3. Use Trade Unions to optimize production by reducing workforce requirements and boosting efficiency.
4. Construct a Small Oil Harbor for loading oil onto tankers.

Tip: Place your Oil Refineries close together and position a Trade Union nearby to boost efficiency. This helps lower workforce needs and increases output per refinery.

---

Step 2: Setting Up Transportation Infrastructure

Once you have oil production running, you need to transport it to your Small Oil Harbor for export. Here’s what to do:

• Ensure train tracks connect the refineries to the Oil Harbor.
• Double or triple track layouts prevent bottlenecks in train movement.
• Use Oil Storage buildings to expand capacity (each storage adds +200 oil).

Warning: If trains cannot reach the Oil Harbor, oil production will halt. Make sure tracks are laid correctly and have no obstructions.

---

Step 3: Transporting Oil to the Old World

Once your Small Oil Harbor is full (aim for at least 400 oil), you need to transport it to your Old World power plants:

1. Build an Oil Tanker (these ships can transport 400 oil per trip).
2. Go to the Trade Route menu and select ‘Oil Routes’.
3. Assign the Oil Tanker to pick up oil from the New World and deliver it to your desired Old World port.
4. Enable ‘Wait for Goods’ to ensure full loads before departure.

Advanced Strategy: If you own the Bright Harvest DLC, you can build the Grand Oil Harbor, which allows faster unloading and higher storage capacity.

---

Step 4: Using Oil in the Old World

Once your Oil Tanker arrives in the Old World, you need to store and distribute the oil efficiently:

• Expand Oil Storage near the Oil Harbor to hold more reserves.
• Ensure Power Plants are correctly placed near industrial zones to maximize their benefits.
• Enable Tractors on farms to reduce workforce demand and boost productivity.

Tip: If oil consumption is higher than supply, consider building additional Oil Tankers or expanding refineries in the New World.

---

Optimizing Oil Production with Trade Unions

Trade Unions provide an incredible opportunity to maximize oil production by applying specialist items. Here’s an example:

• Fine Handheld Power Auger (+40% productivity, -20% workforce) → Greatly enhances oil extraction.
• Stack multiple productivity bonuses to reduce the number of refineries needed.

Using the right combination of specialists, you can reduce oil production time from 5 seconds per unit to as low as 1 second!

---

Final Thoughts: Making Your Oil Routes Efficient

To summarize: ✔ Set up Oil Refineries in the New World. ✔ Ensure proper train tracks and storage to prevent bottlenecks. ✔ Create an Oil Route with tankers to transport oil to the Old World. ✔ Optimize Oil Refineries with Trade Unions for maximum efficiency. ✔ Expand power plants and tractor usage to enhance overall production.

By following these steps, you will maintain a stable oil supply, prevent power shortages, and improve industrial efficiency across your empire.