Why did Germany not shift its fleet to oil when Austria-Hungary had Galician oil?
Short answerBecause transport capacity, oil-fired boilers, and funded naval-engine development were inadequate even if the raw resource existed.
NotesAustria-Hungary possessed oil in Galicia, but resource ownership did not guarantee naval usability. Moving the fuel at scale was difficult, and Germany had not built enough oil-fired boiler capacity. A fleet cannot change fuel merely because an ally controls deposits when the transport network and ship machinery cannot consume them. Limited money for naval engine and boiler development turned a nominal fuel resource into an industrial and logistical constraint.