Needed a kind of oil (9)
I believe the answer is:
essential
'needed' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for essential that I've seen before include "organic" , "Vital" , "Vitally important" , "Indispensible" , "something necessary" .)