❄️ What High-Sec Ice Mining Is

Ice belts spawn in certain 0.5+ security systems (not all have them).
They contain ice blocks (not asteroids).
Mined with Ice Harvesters / Ice Mining Lasers, not strip miners.
Each cycle yields 1 ice block, which refines into isotopes, strontium, liquid ozone, and heavy water.
Belts respawn every 4 hours once depleted → timing is key.

📊 Why Mine Ice?

✅ Stable demand (fuel blocks, cyno fuel, structure ops).
✅ Compressed ice is extremely space-efficient → great for hauling to trade hubs.
✅ Less micromanagement (long cycles, fewer clicks).
✅ Profitable in fleets with boosts.

⚠️ Slower ISK/hr than ore or moon mining.
⚠️ Belts are hotspots — gankers and competition swarm when ice respawns.
⚠️ Cycle times are long, so wasted cycles hurt yield more.

🚀 Ships for High-Sec Ice Mining

1. Expedition Frigates

Endurance → Ice mining bonus, covert cloak, agility. Great for solo ninja ice mining.

2. Mining Barges

Retriever → Large ore/ice hold. Good for semi-AFK.
Procurer → Tanky, good in hostile systems.
Covetor → Best yield, but small hold, fragile.

3. Exhumers

Mackinaw → Ideal for ice (big hold, solid yield).
Skiff → Safer option, tanky with decent yield.
Hulk → Highest yield, but fragile & tiny hold — only good in fleet ops with Orca support.

4. Support

Orca → Essential for advanced ice mining. Provides boosts, compression, and massive ore hold.
Porpoise → Cheaper, weaker boosts. Good for small ops.
Haulers (DSTs / Freighters) → Needed for bulk hauling compressed ice.

🛠 Advanced Fitting Philosophy

Mackinaw (Ice Specialist, Semi-Solo)

[Mackinaw – Ice Mining Solo]
Highs: 2x Ice Harvester II
Mids: Survey Scanner II, Large Shield Extender II, Multispectrum Shield Hardener II
Lows: 2x Ice Harvester Upgrade II
Rigs: Medium Ice Harvester Accelerator I, Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Drones: Mining Drones II + Light Combat Drones

Cycle time ~180s (unboosted), ~120s with boosts.
Ore hold = ~35k m³ → about 60 ice blocks per trip.

Orca (Boost & Compression Backbone)

[Orca – Ice Fleet Support]
Highs: 2x Ice Compression Module I, Mining Foreman Burst II x3
Mids: 2x Large Shield Extender II, 2x Multispectrum Shield Hardener II
Lows: Damage Control II, Reinforced Bulkheads II
Rigs: Large Core Defense Field Extender I x2
Drones: Mining Drone II flight + Warrior II flight

Provides 25–35% yield boost via bursts.
Compresses ice → massive volume savings.
Tank ~250k EHP to deter gankers.

Endurance (Ninja Ice Miner)

[Endurance – Cloaky Ice Harvester]
Highs: Ice Mining Laser II, Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Mids: 5MN Microwarpdrive II, Medium Shield Extender II, Multispectrum Shield Hardener II
Lows: Mining Laser Upgrade II, Damage Control II
Rigs: Small Ice Harvester Accelerator I
Drones: Hobgoblin II x3

Stealthy, agile, survives in hostile systems.
Solo-friendly for grabbing a few blocks before others arrive.

📦 Logistics & ISK Optimization

Compression is king: 1 compressed block = ~1/10 volume. Always compress in Orca/refinery.
Hauling:
- Small ops: Orca → station.
- Large ops: Freighter (Charon/Obelisk) for bulk runs.
Refining:
- Train Ice Processing V + Refinery Efficiency.
- Max refine skills give ~10% more isotopes vs unskilled.
Market play:
- Isotopes vary by region (Amarr uses Helium, Caldari uses Nitrogen, etc.).
- Arbitrage: mine in one space, sell in another hub.

🧭 Efficiency Tactics

Time the respawn — ice belts respawn 4h after depletion. Join fleets right after respawn for full belts.
Survey Scanner — check rock size; don’t waste a 180s cycle on a nearly empty ice rock.
Boosts double yield — solo = ~6–10M ISK/hr; boosted fleet = ~15–25M ISK/hr.
Fleet synergy — Hulks mine, Mackinaws haul, Orca boosts/compresses.
System selection — avoid trade hub systems; ice belts there are camped and dangerous. Use quiet 0.5–0.6 dead-end systems.

⚔️ Threats & Risk Management

Gankers → Common at ice belts (especially Hulks).
- Counter: Skiff/Mackinaw for tank, Orca boosts, align to station.
Competition → Fleets strip ice fast. Time respawns or multibox to secure your share.
War targets → If your Orca/refinery belongs to a wardec corp, enemies can legally kill you in high-sec.
Market crashes → Ice is stable, but check isotope demand before mass-mining.

💰 ISK Expectations

Solo Mackinaw (no boosts): 6–10M ISK/hr.
Solo Endurance: 4–6M ISK/hr (but safer).
Boosted Mackinaw fleet: 15–20M ISK/hr per pilot.
Multibox (2 Hulks + Orca alt): 25–35M ISK/hr.

Ice isn’t as profitable as moon ore, but it’s stable, low-effort ISK — ideal for multiboxers, corp fleets, and industrialists.

🔑 Advanced Tips

Don’t AFK: Ice cycles are long, but local gankers watch for AFK miners.
Pre-align trick: While mining, keep ship aligned to station/citadel. Warp instantly if danger comes.
Bookmark chunks: Big ice blocks often survive longer → return later to grab leftovers.
Industrial Integration: If your corp builds fuel blocks, mining ice for internal production can yield 2–3× more ISK than just selling raw.
Cross-region hauling: Some ice types are rarer in certain regions — profit from market imbalances.

✅ In summary:
High-sec ice mining = steady, fleet-driven ISK, with low click intensity. The real money is in fleets with Orca support, compression, and isotope market play. It’s less flashy than moon mining, but vital for industry.

Advanced – High-Sec Ice Mining