⛏️ Basic Mining 101

Welcome to Fleet 919's Basic Mining certification course. Mining is the backbone of our logistics operations, providing the raw materials that fuel our fleet, fund our operations, and sustain our presence across Stanton and Pyro.

This guide will transform you from a rookie prospector into a capable miner who can contribute meaningfully to fleet operations. You'll learn the fundamentals of ore identification, extraction techniques, equipment management, and safety protocols that keep our miners alive and profitable.

Approved Mining Vessels

Fleet 919 recognizes the following vessels for basic mining operations:

• Drake Golem — Single-seat starter mining ship. 32 SCU cargo in two detachable containers, bespoke Size 1 Pitman mining laser calibrated for safety and ease of use. Basic defensive armament. Perfect entry-level ship for new miners.
• MISC Prospector — Single-seat mining ship. Industry standard for solo operations. 32 SCU cargo, excellent maneuverability, modular mining head. Recommended for experienced miners.
• Greycat ROC — Ground vehicle for surface gem extraction. Requires transport ship. Perfect for Hadanite/Dolivine runs on moons. Low risk, steady income.
• Argo MOLE — Multi-crew mining platform. 96 SCU cargo in 24 detachable pods, three independent mining turrets. Requires 3-person crew for maximum efficiency. Fleet operations only.

Mining Head Types

Your mining head determines what you can extract and how efficiently. Key specs:

• Pitman (Stock on Golem) — Basic safety-focused laser. Limited power but very forgiving for new miners. Resistance: 1800 | Instability: 0.5
• Hofstede — First recommended upgrade for beginners. Balanced stats with good power and stability. Resistance: 2400 | Instability: 0.6
• Klein — High power, low instability. Excellent for tough rocks, though slower charge rate. Resistance: 3000 | Instability: 0.4
• Lancet — Fast and aggressive. Higher instability risk but quick extraction. Resistance: 2700 | Instability: 1.2
• Helix — Precision tool. Best for delicate quantainium extraction. Resistance: 2500 | Instability: 0.8

Essential Mining Modules

Modules come in two types: Passive (always active) and Active (requires manual activation with a cooldown).

Passive Modules

• Optimum Module — Widens the green extraction zone. Recommended for beginners.
• Focus III Module — Narrows beam, increases precision. Optimal choice for experienced miners.

Active Modules (Consumable Charges)

• Surge Module — Temporary power boost. Use for breaking tough green zones.
• Stampede Module — Reduces resistance. Helpful on high-resistance rocks.
• Brandt Module — Dampens instability. Useful for volatile rocks.
• Rieger Module — Reduces overcharge buildup rate. Emergency stabilization tool.

Mining Gadgets

Handheld devices that attach to rocks before mining to modify their stats. Must be placed on rock before fracturing, then calibrated by tuning resonant frequency. Gadgets can be collected after the rock shatters.

• BoreMax (Thermyte) — Reduces instability (-70%) significantly for safer mining. Increases cluster modifier (+30%) to keep valuables together. Trade-off: +10% resistance.
• Okunis (Shubin) — Expands optimal charge window size (+50%) and fill rate (+100%) for easier mining. Trade-off: -20% cluster modifier means more spread.
• OptiMax (Greycat) — Reduces resistance (-30%) and increases cluster modifier (+60%) for better yields. Trade-off: -30% optimal charge window size.
• Sabir (Shubin) — Dramatically reduces resistance (-50%) and increases optimal window (+50%) for tough deposits. Trade-off: +15% instability.
• Stalwart (Thermyte) — For precision miners. Increases cluster modifier (+30%) and charge rate (+50%). Trade-offs: -30% window size, +15% instability.
• WaveShift (Greycat) — Huge optimal window (+100%) with reduced instability (-35%) for forgiving mining. Trade-off: -30% charge rate (slower).

How Scanning Works

Your mining ship is equipped with a scanning system (default: TAB key) that reveals mineable deposits. Scanning is your first line of intelligence—use it constantly.

1. Ping Scan — Press TAB to send out a scan pulse. Reveals all minable rocks within range (typically 2-4km depending on ship). Rocks appear as diamond markers on your HUD.
2. Approach Target — Fly within 500m of a promising rock. Look at the rock (making sure it's highlighted orange) for a few seconds. The scan results showing the rock's size, material composition, and mass will appear on the right side of your HUD.
3. Check Composition — Review mineral percentages. Higher value ores (Quantainium, Bexalite, Taranite) are your priority targets.
4. Assess Mass — Lower mass rocks (5,000-8,000 kg) are easier to fracture. Beginners should avoid 9,000+ kg rocks initially.

Valuable Ore Types (By Priority)

Note: Ore prices fluctuate based on supply and demand. Check UEX Corporation or Regolith.rocks for real-time market prices before planning your mining run.

The Fracture Process

Mining is a game of precision. Apply too little power, nothing happens. Apply too much, the rock explodes (and you might too). Your goal: crack the rock open without blowing it to pieces.

1. Approach the Rock — Fly within range of your target Asteroid/Rock.
2. Enter Mining Mode — Press middle mouse button or M key to enter mining mode. Aim your mining laser at the rock. The mining UI will appear on your screen.
3. Check Laser Range — On the left side of the mining UI, you'll see "Laser Range" with a colored indicator. You want to be in the optimal (green) range. If you're in red or yellow, adjust your distance by moving closer or farther until the indicator turns green.
4. Set Initial Charge Level — On the right side of the UI is your charge level gauge. Use mouse scroll up/down to adjust your laser power output. Start with moderate power (around 50%) for most rocks.
5. Begin Fracturing — Once in optimal range with power set, hold Alt+Left Mouse Button to activate the fracture laser. The rock's energy meter will start building on the right side of your HUD.
6. Find the Green Zone — The rock has an optimal extraction window on its fracture meter:
   • Below Green Zone — Not enough power. Rock won't fracture. Scroll up to increase power.
   • Green Zone (Optimal) — Perfect power range. Keep the energy line in this zone.
   • Above Green Zone (Overcharge) — Too much power. Risk of explosion increases rapidly. Scroll down to decrease power.
7. Modulate Laser Power — As the rock charges, constantly adjust your power (Right side of UI) using mouse scroll up/down. Increase power when below green zone, decrease when approaching overcharge. Keep the energy line steady in the green zone.
8. Watch for Fracture — When the rock's energy reaches the fracture point in the green zone, it will crack and split into smaller fragments. These fragments contain the valuable ore.
9. Extract Fragments — After fracturing, target the broken fragments with your mining laser (look for purple-outlined pieces). Use Left Alt+Left click and the laser switches to extraction mode and streams ore into your cargo hold.

Advanced Fracture Techniques

Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

• Holding Full Power: Don't max out your laser and hold it. Modulate constantly. Mining is active, not passive.
• Ignoring Instability: Some rocks have high instability ratings. They charge unpredictably. Use shorter bursts and watch carefully.
• Mining Everything: Be selective. Focus on high-value ores. Quality over quantity—a Prospector half-full of valuable ore is worth more than a full hold of low-value materials.
• Not Using Modules Wisely: Active modules have limited charges. Save them for challenging rocks rather than wasting them on easy targets.

Stanton System (Lawful Space)

Pyro System (Hostile Space)

The Refinery Process

Raw ore is worthless until refined. You have two options: sell raw (instant but lower profit) or refine (higher profit but time investment).

1. Dock/Land at a Refinery Station — Major refinery locations: Port Tressler (microTech), Everus Harbor (Hurston), Baijini Point (ArcCorp), Port Olisar (Crusader).
2. Access Refinery Terminal — Located in station lobbies. Interact with terminal.
3. Choose Refinery Job — You'll see your cargo and refinery options:
   • Cormack Method: Fast (~4-6 hours), ~70% yield, cheap. Good for low-value ore or quick turnaround.
   • Dinyx Solvention: Balanced (~11-13 hours), ~80-85% yield, moderate cost. Best balance of speed and efficiency.
   • Gaskin Process: Slow (~20-30 hours), ~90-95% yield, expensive. Best for high-value ore like Quantainium.
   • Pyrometric Crystallization: Specialized method for specific ores. Check yield percentages carefully.
4. Pay Refinery Fee — Fees are based on ore value and method chosen. Budget 10-20% of cargo value.
5. Wait for Completion — Real-time wait. You can log off; timer continues. Use this time for other ops.
6. Claim Refined Ore — Return to refinery, access terminal, claim your refined materials.
7. Sell at Trading Terminal — Load refined ore onto cargo ship and sell at highest-paying station. Check Gallog.co or UEX Corporation for real-time prices.

Best Selling Locations (Stanton)

Note: Best selling locations change frequently based on supply/demand. Check Regolith.rocks Market Prices for real-time best rates before selling.

• Lorville (Hurston) — Highest prices for refined metals.
• Area18 (ArcCorp) — Good prices.
• New Babbage (microTech) — Decent prices, excellent amenities.
• Orison (Crusader) — Avoid. Lowest prices.

Claim Jumpers

Pirates who target miners. They know you're loaded, slow, and poorly armed. Don't be an easy mark.

Environmental Hazards

• Asteroid/Rock Collisions: Belt navigation is tricky. Maintain safe speed. Prospector has weak armor.
• Overheating: Mining lasers generate heat. Watch your ship temp. Prolonged mining = potential component damage.
• Fuel Management: Mining burns fuel. Always keep 25% reserve for emergency QT to safety.
• Pirate Activity: High-value mining locations attract hostile players and NPCs. Stay alert and maintain situational awareness at all times.

To earn your Fleet 919 Basic Mining certification, you must demonstrate proficiency in the following:

Upon completion, you will receive the Fleet 919 Basic Mining certification in your personnel file. This allows us to see who has what knowledge in each division.

Stay current with the latest mining information, prices, and techniques:

• Regolith.rocks — Comprehensive mining database with real-time market prices, refinery efficiency calculators, and ore location data.
• Red Monster Gaming Mining Cheat Sheets — Quick reference guides for mining heads, modules, and optimal strategies.
• UEX Corporation — Trade route planning and real-time commodity prices across all systems.