Small Petroleum Engine

The Small Petroleum Engine is a rocket engine variant that uses petroleum as fuel and shares its current description and flavor text with the base game Petroleum Engine. Like other rocket engines, it is used on rockets to send Duplicants into space and recover rare resources.

Its main advantage is efficiency: the Small Petroleum Engine is twice as efficient in petroleum cost as the Petroleum Engine when traveling through space. It is also relatively straightforward to fuel and refuel as long as the colony has access to an Oil Biome or at least some Slicksters to produce petroleum.

A few practical notes are worth keeping in mind:

• Adding a Liquid Fuel Tank increases the rocket’s range by 30 hexes, but it also takes up a lot of vertical space.
• To make use of that extra range, the rocket needs an oxidizer, with a Liquid Oxidizer Tank being the preferred option.
• With 2 Large Liquid Fuel Tanks, a Liquid Oxidizer Tank, and a Solo Spacefarer Nosecone, the Small Petroleum Engine can reach a maximum possible range of 40 hexes.

Because of its better fuel efficiency in space, it is a strong choice for early and mid-game petroleum-powered exploration rockets, especially when range needs are moderate and petroleum supply is manageable.