The Satisfactory map is a diverse, varied landscape made up of many different biomes. No matter where you start, you won’t always find the best resources for your factories right on your doorstep. That’s why it’s important to explore the map and look for locations that are better suited to producing certain items. How to transport materials over long distances is something we’ve already explained in another article (Satisfactory Transport Guide: Conveyor Belts, Vehicles, Trains, and Hypertubes) . Especially later in the game you’ll still need to move parts around, because not every source is found in the same place.
Satisfactory map: Best resource locations for production lines
Ore nodes are your first essential source for building factories and crafting early materials. Later, you’ll combine them to produce higher-tier items like steel or aluminum. So it’s important to find the best spots early to scale up quickly. For this list we focus primarily on the pure ore nodes, as they offer the highest output for your production lines.
Northern Desert: Find iron, copper and limestone
- Iron: Iron forms a loose ring around the map, but the best nodes are in the north. The west side of the Northern Forest is a great early-game option, but an even better cluster lies further southeast, near the canyons.
- Copper: Like iron, copper tends to sit around the edges of the map. The Northern Forest and the desert are your best bets here as well, but there are three pure nodes in the Titan Forest. That area is hostile, so it’s better suited to the late game.
- Limestone: The third early-game resource also encircles the map. You’ll find most pure nodes in the Rocky Desert in the northwest, with more deposits along the east coast of the Dune Desert.
All in all, we recommend moving your larger production to the Northern Desert sooner or later. You’ll find nearly all key resources there and have plenty of space to expand. It’s also ideal for the late game, with additional critical materials nearby.
Titan Forest and Blue Crater: Coal, Caterium, sulfur and nitrogen gas
- Coal: Pure coal is quite rare. Your best options are far north in 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 scarce overall. A solid spot is the northern Titan Forest, which has two normal and one pure node. Elsewhere, nodes are scattered.
- Sulfur: Head to the north of the desert near the Spire Coast, or even better, to the cluster of three nodes on the edge of the Southern Forest and the Blue Crater.
- Nitrogen gas: Nitrogen matters in tiers 8 and 9, especially for fuel production. Deposits are very concentrated, with multiple sources packed together. The Blue Crater region has three such spots in close proximity, making it excellent for rocket fuel.
For these resources, the desert, particularly the northern edge of the map, offers the most convenient setup, with coal, Caterium and sulfur close by. The Titan Forest is a good alternative, and so is the Blue Crater, which also has impure coal. The latter is especially relevant later on, since you can produce rocket fuel there.
Swamp biome: Mine bauxite, quartz and uranium efficiently
- Bauxite: Needed for aluminum, bauxite forms a rough horizontal band across the middle of the map, which makes extracting and processing it challenging. The west coast of the Red Jungle is a good option, but many players prefer the Swamp in the east.
- Raw quartz: Pure quartz nodes are limited, but there are a few strong areas. The Rocky Desert works well, but the Southern Forest is likely better, not far from the Grass Fields and the Blue Crater. You’ll also find 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 spot is again the Swamp, especially the cave behind the waterfall.
For these three endgame resources, the Swamp is an excellent location. Be careful, though: the area is full of hostile creatures and poisonous gas. Stay alert — otherwise, the terrain is relatively flat and easy to build on.
Spire Coast: Oil production and Power Slugs
- Crude oil: Oil becomes essential from mid-game onward for plastic, rubber and especially fuel. The single best location is the Spire Coast in the north, where you’ll find abundant oil nodes and plenty of water. Alternatively, the Blue Crater in the south is also worthwhile, since it has all the other components needed for rocket fuel, the best energy source in the game (Satisfactory Fuel Guide: Biomass, Coal, Oil, and Nuclear Power) .
- Power Slugs: These electrified slugs are needed for various recipes, and by far the most can be found along the Spire Coast. Use them to craft Power Shards. We recommend a jetpack to traverse the jagged coastline 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 platforms out over the sea to get far more space than on the coastline itself.
Conclusion: Best Satisfactory resource locations for your factories
Choosing the right location makes a big difference in Satisfactory. Since resources aren’t everywhere, you need to think strategically and pick the best area for each production chain. Thanks to several resource clusters, some regions are much better than others. You’ll still need to transport materials sometimes, but with this guide you can hopefully keep that to a minimum.
Play together with your friends and rent a Satisfactory server from us. That way, each person can focus on a specific section of the map to keep production running smoothly.
