🛠️ EVE Online: How to Mine – Beginner’s Guide (2025)
Mining in EVE Online is one of the most accessible and consistent ways to make ISK. Whether you’re an Alpha or Omega clone, this guide walks you through the process—from ship selection to ore sales.
1. Introduction
Mining is one of the oldest and most fundamental professions in EVE Online. At its core, it’s the act of extracting ore (and sometimes ice or gas) from asteroids and refining it into minerals. Those minerals are the backbone of New Eden’s economy—used to build ships, modules, and structures.
Mining is:
Scalable (you can solo mine casually or run multi-account mining fleets with huge yields).
Accessible to beginners (starter ships and career missions teach you the basics).
Economically stable (minerals are always in demand).
2. Skills for Miners
Core Mining Skills
- Mining: +5% yield per level.
- Astrogeology: +5% yield per level (requires Mining IV).
Specialty Skills
- Ice Harvesting: Faster ice mining.
- Gas Harvesting: For gas clouds (expensive skillbook).
- Deep Core Mining: Required for Mercoxit.
Reprocessing Skills
- Unlock better ore refining yields and crystals. Examples:
- Simple Ore Processing → Veldspar, Scordite, Pyroxeres, etc.
- Complex Ore Processing → Bistot, Arkonor, Spodumain, etc.
- Moon Ore Processing → For moon mining.
Ship Command Skills
- Mining Frigate → Venture.
- Mining Barge → Barges.
- Exhumers → T2 mining barges.
- Industrial Command Ships → Orca/Porpoise.
- Capital Industrial Ships → Rorqual.
Drone Skills
- Drones → More drones in space.
- Mining Drone Operation/Specialization → More drone yield.
- Drone Interfacing → +10% drone yield/damage per level.
Fleet Support Skills (for boosts)
Command Burst Specialist → Faster reloads.
Leadership / Mining Foreman / Mining Director → Stronger boosts.
3. What to Fly
Entry-level:
- Venture (Frigate): Free, low-skill, 5,000m³ mining hold, built-in warp stabilizers. Perfect for beginners.
Next step: Mining Barges
- Procurer: Tough tank, good for dangerous areas.
- Retriever: Huge ore hold, good for solo mining.
- Covetor: High yield, but tiny ore hold.
Advanced: Exhumers (T2 Barges)
- Skiff: Toughest (tank + drones).
- Mackinaw: Giant ore hold.
- Hulk: Monster yield, tiny ore hold.
Specialty Frigates
- Prospect: Covert ops miner, great for stealthy low/null mining.
- Endurance: Specialized in ice mining.
Support & Fleet Ships
- Porpoise: Entry-level command ship, ore compression, fleet boosts.
- Orca: High-sec mining backbone, boosts, compression, hauling.
- Rorqual: Capital mining ship (null-sec only), best boosts, compression, PANIC module.
🔍 4. Where to Mine
There are 4 main spots to mine –
- Asteroid Belts (standard ores like Veldspar, Scordite)
- Ore Anomalies (Richer ores but are often in lower security space)
- Ice Belts (for ice mining)
- Moon Mining Sites (corporation-controlled; advanced)
📊 Ore by Security Level:
High-Sec (safe-ish): Veldspar, Scordite, Pyroxeres, Plagioclase.
Low-Sec (riskier): Omber, Kernite, Jaspet, Hemorphite, Hedbergite.
Null-Sec: Arkonor, Bistot, Spodumain, Mercoxit.
Wormholes: Mix of high- and null-sec ores.
Triglavian/Pochven: Special abyssal ores (Bezdnacine, Rakovene, Talassonite).
⛏️ 5. Mining Process Step-by-Step
📦 Step 1: Fit Your Ship
- Mining Lasers / Strip Miners
- Mining Laser Upgrade (MLU) modules
- Shield/armor tank or warp stabilizers
- Optional: Mining Drones
🛸 Step 2: Undock & Find Asteroids
- Open Overview → Warp to a belt/anomaly.
- Right-click asteroid → Lock target.
- Activate mining lasers.
📥 Step 3: Manage Ore Hold
- When full, return to station or use a jet can (right-click → jettison).
- Venture has a separate Ore Hold—don’t confuse it with Cargo.
🧾 Step 4: Sell or Refine
- Dock at a station with refining.
- Choose Reprocess or Sell (check market prices).
6. Mining in Fleets
Mining fleets are the most profitable and social way to mine.
- Boosters (Orca/Rorqual) give yield, range, and cycle bonuses.
- Haulers keep miners working without downtime.
- Combat ships protect against rats and gankers.
🧪 7. Refining vs Selling Raw Ore
- Refining: Get minerals (e.g., Tritanium, Pyerite).
- Requires skills and good refinery standings.
- Selling Ore: Simpler, often better for beginners.
🛡️ 8. Dangers and Survival
Mining isn’t risk-free. Every area has threats:
High-Sec
- Suicide gankers (Catalyst, Coercer, Talos).
- Avoidance tips: Don’t AFK, fit tank, mine away from hubs, don’t use blingy modules.
Low-Sec
- Anyone can attack you. Expect gate camps, cyno drops, cloakers.
- Avoidance tips: Use D-scan, cloak, avoid traffic-heavy systems.
Null-Sec (Sov & NPC)
- Warp bubbles, roaming fleets, high-value ores.
- Stay aligned and use intel channels.
Wormholes
- No local chat safety. Only D-scan and eyes save you.
- Sleepers spawn in mining sites after ~20 min.
Pochven
- No local safety, hostile Triglavians/EDENCOM.
🧊 9. Advanced Mining Paths
- Ice Mining – Needed for fuel; Omega and special modules required.
- Moon Mining – Corporation-based with Refineries.
- Gas Harvesting – Used in booster and T3 production.
- Fleet Mining – Join or lead ops for group efficiency and safety.
🧠 10. Quick Tips for Profitable Mining
Always check the market value of what you’re mining.
Don’t mine just Veldspar unless close to Jita.
Look for Ore Anomalies in quieter systems.
Fit Survey Scanners to check asteroid content.
Avoid high-traffic belts and mine during off-peak hours.
Start in a Venture and train for Mining Barges within your first week.
Always mine in safe areas until you understand PvP dangers.
Use Survey Scanners to maximize yield and avoid wasted cycles.
Upgrade skills steadily—Mining → Astrogeology → Mining Barge → Exhumers.