The Satisfactory map is a diverse, varied landscape made up of many different regions. You won’t always find the best resources for your factories wherever you start. That’s why it’s important to explore the map and look for other locations that are better suited to producing specific items. We’ve already explained how to transport these over long distances in another article (Satisfactory transport guide: conveyor belts, vehicles, trains and hypertubes) . Especially later in the game you’ll still have to transport some components, as not all sources are found in one place.
Satisfactory map: Best resource locations for production lines
Ore nodes are your first key source of resources to build factories and craft your initial materials. Later, you’ll combine them to produce better things like steel or aluminium. So it’s vital to find the best locations to start large-scale production early. For this list, we’re focusing primarily on the pure ore nodes, as these give you the highest output for your production lines.
Satisfactory Northern Desert: Find iron, copper and limestone
- Iron: Iron can be found in a ring around the map, but the best nodes are further to the north. The western side of the Northern Forest is a very good starter location, but even better is the large cluster further to the south-east, near the canyons.
- Copper: Copper is similar to iron, appearing more towards the edges of the map. The Northern Forest and the desert are again your best bets, but there are three pure nodes in the Titan Forest. However, this area is very hostile and better suited to the late game.
- Limestone: Limestone, the third early-game resource, is also distributed like a ring around the map. You’ll find most pure nodes in the rocky desert in the northwest, with several more along the east coast of the large desert.
All in all, we recommend moving your larger productions to the Northern Desert sooner rather than later. You’ll find almost all key resources there and have plenty of space to expand. It’s perfect for the late game too, as more important materials are located nearby.
Titan Forest and Blue Crater: Coal, Caterium, sulphur and nitrogen gas
- Coal: Pure coal isn’t very common. Your best options are far in the north of the desert, in the canyon near the Titan Forest, or in the southern Rocky Desert near the Crater Lake.
- Caterium: Caterium becomes important later and is quite rare across the map. A good place is the northern Titan Forest, where you’ll find two normal and one pure node. Otherwise, nodes are mostly scattered singly.
- Sulphur: For sulphur, either head to the north of the desert, near the Spire Coast. Better still is the cluster of three nodes on the edge of the southern forest and the Blue Crater.
- Nitrogen gas: Nitrogen becomes important at Tier 8 and 9, especially for fuel production. Nodes are highly concentrated, with many sources close together. The area around the Blue Crater has three such spots, which is why it’s so good for rocket fuel.
For these resources too, the desert is generally best, especially the northern edge of the map. You’ll find coal, Caterium and sulphur there. The Titan Forest can be a good alternative, as can the Blue Crater, where you’ll also find impure coal. The latter is particularly relevant later, as you can produce rocket fuel there.
Swamp biome: Mine bauxite, quartz and uranium efficiently
- Bauxite: Bauxite is needed for aluminium and runs like a horizontal band through the middle of the map, making it tricky to extract and process efficiently. The west coast of the Red Jungle is a good location, but many players opt for the Swamp in the east.
- Raw quartz: You’ll also have to make do with fewer pure nodes for quartz, but there are some good choices. The Rocky Desert is solid, but the southern forest is probably even better, not far from the Grass Fields and the Blue Crater. There are also three nodes on the border between the Titan Forest and the Swamp.
- Uranium: Radioactive uranium is very rare and dangerous. There are only five nodes, and the best area is again the Swamp, especially the cave behind the waterfall.
For these three endgame resources, the Swamp is an excellent location. However, take care: the area is populated by enemies and filled with toxic gas. Stay alert, but otherwise the terrain is relatively flat and easy to build on.
Spire Coast: Oil production and Power Slugs
- Crude oil: Crude oil becomes essential from the mid-game for many aspects. You’ll need it for plastics, rubber and especially fuel. The absolute best location is the Spire Coast in the north of the map, where you’ll find not only plenty of oil nodes, but also more than enough water. Alternatively, the Blue Crater in the south is worth it, as you’ll find all the other ingredients for rocket fuel there, the best energy source in the game (Satisfactory fuel guide: Biomass, Coal, Oil and Nuclear Power) .
- Power Slugs: These electric critters are needed for various recipes, and by far the most of them are also at the Spire Coast. You can turn them into Power Shards. We recommend a jetpack to traverse the jagged coast more easily.
The Spire Coast can be a bit trickier for huge factories, but it’s the best spot for oil extraction. There are plenty of impure and pure nodes to tap. We suggest building your production out at sea, where you have far more space than on the shore.
Conclusion: Best Satisfactory resource locations for your factories
The right location can make a big difference in Satisfactory. Since resources aren’t found everywhere, you’ll need to think strategically and pick the best area for each production chain. Thanks to the clustering of different resource nodes, some regions are better suited than others. You’ll still have to transport materials sometimes, of course, but with our guide you can hopefully keep that to a minimum.
Play together with your friends and rent a Satisfactory server from us. That way, everyone can focus on a specific part of the map and help keep production running smoothly.
