Oil Refinery

Crude oil pumped from the ground is a mixture of hundreds of hydrocarbon compounds, useless until separated. The oil refinery applies fractional distillation — heating crude in a tall column and drawing off gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and lubricants at different temperatures — converting raw petroleum into the products an industrial military economy requires. Standard Oil's refineries, the Soviet Baku complex, and Romania's Ploiești fields were all primary strategic bombing targets in both World Wars: destroying them grounded aircraft, halted tanks, and silenced artillery. In the game the refinery converts raw oil into refined fuel that unlocks and sustains armored and aerial units. Without a functioning refinery, oil wells produce a resource your military cannot use. Site it near both your wells and your army base — every unnecessary kilometer of hauling is a vulnerability a fast raiding force can exploit.