Oil supplier spreading a mess close to drive (6)
I believe the answer is:
sesame
'oil supplier' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot see how they can define each other.
'spreading a mess close to drive' is the wordplay.
'spreading' indicates anagramming the letters.
'close to' suggests the final letters (the close/ending of).
The last letter of 'drive' is 'e'.
'a'+'mess'='amess'
'amess' is an anagram of 'sesam'.
'sesam'+'e'='SESAME'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sesame that I've seen before include "Ali Baba's opening command" , "Open .... is a pantomime cry" , "which magically opens" , "Part of code for opening" , "Source of seed and oil" .)