Coal, Oil Shale, Clay: Where to Get Them in 7DTD
You do not need a vein. A burnt tree gives 15 to 30 coal, a full bulk goods block 30 to 40 clay, a destroyed cement mixer holds 20–120 oil shale and 40–120 clay, and bulk fertilizer gives 30 to 40 nitrate. A utility sink gives 20 to 50 lead.
- Coal15 to 30per large burnt tree
- Oil shale20–120destroyed cement mixer
- Clay40–120destroyed cement mixer
- Nitrate30 to 40full bulk fertilizer
Mining a vein is the answer everyone gives. The files list a lot of faster ones, and they are all in buildings you already visit.
On this page
The shortcuts at a glance
One line per resource: the biggest source that is not an ore node.
| Resource | Best shortcut | Amount | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
 Coal | Large burnt pine and maple trees (3 blocks) | 15–30 | 2 black bulk goods blocks 5–8 |
 Oil shale | Destroyed Cement Mixer | 20–120 | Car Parts Box 20–120 |
 Clay | Destroyed Cement Mixer | 40–120 | 20 bulk goods blocks 30–40 |
 Lead | Utility Sink | 20–50 | Destroyed Forge 20–60 |
 Nitrate | Bulk Fertilizer Base Full | 30–40 | Chemistry sets 25–50 |
What the files cannot tell you
Where the ore veins are. The V3.3 files list the ore blocks and their amount (50 per node) but not a biome or position for them, so we do not give one.
Coal: burn your way through the burnt forest
Burnt trees are the best coal that is not an ore node: Large burnt pine and maple trees (3 blocks) drop 15–30 each and the medium ones (Medium burnt pine and maple trees (3 blocks)) 11–22. Black Bulk Goods blocks give 5–8 for a full one, ember piles 3–6, and a wood burning stove 5.
Containers: Large Chemistry Set (25–50), Medium Chemistry Set (25–50), Small Chemistry Set (25–50), Destroyed Forge (10–20) and Old Stove (10–20). A destroyed forge is one of 7 on the map.
| Source | Coal | How |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Ore / Coal Ore Boulder | 50 | Harvest (ore node) |
| Large burnt pine and maple trees (3 blocks) | 15–30 | Harvest |
| Medium burnt pine and maple trees (3 blocks) | 11–22 | Harvest |
| Black Bulk Goods Base Full / Black Bulk Goods Tile | 5–8 | Harvest |
| Chemistry sets (small, medium, large) | 25–50 | Loot |
| Destroyed Forge | 10–20 | Loot |
| Old Stove | 10–20 | Loot |
Oil shale: cement mixers, chemistry sets, car parts
There are only two block sources, both ore: Oil Shale Ore Deposit / Oil Shale Ore Boulder at 50 each. The game's own description puts it in the desert. For everything else you loot: a Destroyed Cement Mixer holds 20–120, a Car Parts Box 20–120, chemistry sets 25–50 and a Destroyed Chemistry Station 10–30.
25 destroyed chemistry stations stand on Navezgane. At the chemistry station, 1 oil shale makes 2 gas cans.
Oil shale without a desert trip
The ore nodes are a desert thing per the game's text, and loot lists hold it everywhere else. The files give you 6 loot lists that can hold it, so you can get oil shale without ever finding a node.
Clay: bulk goods and cement mixers
Clay has 84 block sources, most of them colours of one block family: the full ones (Base Full and Tile) give 30–40, the medium ones 15–20. A forge or a destroyed forge gives 20, dirt and forest ground 22 each. A destroyed cement mixer container holds 40–120; 10 other lists hold up to 50.
Clay is an ingredient in 35 recipes, almost all forge ones (iron bars, glass, bullet tips). It is not sold by traders.
Lead: sinks and scrap
Lead ore gives 50. The shortcut is plumbing: a Utility Sink gives 20–50, sink cabinets 1–5. A destroyed forge holds 20–60, a destroyed battery bank 10–30. You can also scrap buckshot, bullet tip, lead car battery and 4 more items into lead.
Nitrate: fertilizer, corpses and farm plots
Potassium nitrate ore gives 50. Without it: full Bulk Fertilizer or White Bulk Goods blocks 30–40, medium ones 15–20, corpses and body bags 4–8. Chemistry sets hold 25–50.
Nitrate goes into gunpowder (2 nitrate and 2 coal make 1), antibiotics and farm plots.
On the Navezgane map
The map places 32 destroyed chemistry stations and forges in 26 POIs. Chemistry stations can hold oil shale, forges coal, clay and lead. Numbers show the 8 POIs with the most (ties: lowest skull rating, then nearest trader). Cement mixers are on the map under the same name, but the map does not link them to a loot list, so they are not numbered.
| # | POI | Stations and forges | Skulls | Nearest trader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob's Boars & Carl's Corn | 2 | 3 skulls | Trader Rekt (750 m) |
| 2 | Billy Bootlegger's | 1 | unrated | Trader Jen (400 m) |
| 3 | Fallen Survivor Compound | 1 | unrated | Trader Joel (450 m) |
| 4 | Willy White's Shack | 1 | unrated | Trader Rekt (900 m) |
| 5 | Dug In Denizens | 1 | 1 skull | Trader Rekt (500 m) |
| 6 | The Cook's Residence | 1 | 1 skull | Trader Jen (600 m) |
| 7 | Swiggin Serum | 1 | 1 skull | Trader Bob (800 m) |
| 8 | Jerry's Fill | 1 | 1 skull | Trader Joel (1,150 m) |
Common mistakes
- Searching for veins first. A burnt tree or a bulk goods block gives as much as 15–30 and needs no search.
- Assuming oil shale means a desert trip. The ore nodes are in the desert per the game's text; 6 loot lists hold it too.
- Reading a loot range as a promise. 20–120 is what a roll can give, not what it will.
- Forgetting what you use them for. Coal and nitrate make gunpowder, oil shale makes gas.
FAQ
Where do you find coal in 7 Days to Die?
Harvest burnt trees (15–30 per large one) or Black Bulk Goods blocks (5–8); coal ore nodes give 50 each. Chemistry sets and destroyed forges hold it as loot.
Where do you find oil shale?
Oil shale ore deposits and boulders give 50 each, and the game's text says it is found in the desert. You can also loot destroyed cement mixers (20–120), car parts boxes (20–120) and chemistry sets.
How do you make gas?
At the chemistry station: 1 oil shale makes 2 gas cans.
Where do you get clay?
Bulk goods blocks give 30–40 (full) or 15–20 (medium); a destroyed cement mixer holds 40–120; dirt and forest ground give 22.
Where do you get nitrate?
Bulk Fertilizer blocks give 30–40, and potassium nitrate ore 50. Chemistry sets hold 25 to 50.
Where do you get lead?
Utility sinks give 20–50, lead ore 50, and a destroyed forge holds 20–60. Scrapping car batteries and ammo parts also gives lead.
Are there ore veins by biome?
The V3.3 files list the ore blocks but not where they are, so we do not say. Check the in-game map or your world.
Pages to keep open
Related pages
Sources
- 7 Days to Die Dedicated Server, Steam 294420 (V3.3: blocks, loot, recipes and Navezgane world files)
- Steam Community, 7 Days to Die discussions
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