You can fail pretty much anything, I still fail to craft beer from time to time at apprentice 7. So I guess there is a high failure rate for the oil of corruption.

I was just able to do it at skilled 1. I may be lucky, but it happened (and gave me a shining powder :3).

EDIT: And then failed Elixir of Carnage

This may have been the case before - but you DO NOT need to be artisan to make this. I made it at skilled 8. You should be able to make it from at least skilled 4 if not earlier.