Build, Drill, and Bid

How rigs, pumpjacks, new oilfields, and Wildcatter auctions work.

Build rigs

In the area on your chosen card, build rigs for four workers each, except your fourth rig there costs six. Your combined rigs and pumpjacks are limited to four per area. Do not build on an oilfield occupied by a Wildcatter disk.

Drill a new oilfield

Choose D.1 and pay eight workers. At least four drilling rigs of any colors must be present in the area, and that area must not already have discovered oil. Turn one of your rigs into a pumpjack and place three of your barrels on it. Other companies with a rig there may each pay you three of their own shares to turn one of their rigs into a pumpjack and receive three barrels.

Auction the Wildcatters

After drilling, auction Wildcatter disks in the area one at a time. Only companies with a pumpjack there may bid. The active player has the first opportunity, then bidding proceeds clockwise. The minimum bid is four shares of the bidder’s own color. A player who passes cannot rejoin that auction. The winner pays their own-color shares to the bank, puts one of their barrels on the disk, and keeps the disk when that oil is transported. If nobody bids, return the disk to the box.

You may take a loan if you cannot pay a winning bid. The winner may use their one-time Refinery chip to empty one of their refineries, even if it is not full. No oil may be delivered to that refinery during this turn; place the chip on it as a reminder and return the chip to the box at turn end. This does not change the bid payment rule.

Develop a discovered field

Choose D.2 when there is already a pumpjack in the area. For each of your rigs you convert, pay three workers, turn it into a pumpjack, and place three of your barrels on it. This does not require four rigs or another drilling action.

Loans

Whenever you need more of your own-color shares than you hold, take 10 such shares from the bank and place one of your oil barrels on the loan space. At game end, return 25 own-color shares per outstanding loan; each share you cannot return costs one point. During round five, you may repay a loan by returning 18 of your own shares to the bank.