This study evaluates the chemical changes that occur as oil palm fruits ripen in the bunch in terms of changes in oil content, chemical composition of fatty acid (FA), free fatty acid (FFA), deterioration of bleachability index (DOBI) and carotenes content. Oil was extracted from fruits with different ripeness, using different extraction techniques. It was found that oil content infruit increased over the ripening period, reaching the maximum oil content of 34.7% in ripe fruit which can be related to the optimal time for fruit harvesting based on colour. Results showed that the main changes in FA occurred in terms of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids content. Meanwhile, FFA, DOBI and carotenes content increased as oil palm fruits ripen and the value remained nearly constant.