I'm trying to understand the issues you are having with lava. The description clearly states: "Dripping from lava pockets." The lava you get from drilling a pocket is always one grade higher than whatever is dripping from that pocket.
We have updated the game to lower the requirements for building an Engineering Bay. If you haven't built it yet, unload your inventory at the ship, and the refresh the page to take advantage of the new recipe.
Starts out simple but gets challenging fast. If you like it check out the first game in the series, here on Kongregate http://www.kongregate.com/games/UltraRhea/ir-obot
@dinkelburt and any other people having problems with PAR. I am one of the two developers, and I can guarantee they are ALL doable, but some require a specific build or strategy. If you are still having problems, say the level name and we will try to give you tips.