Why mine ore? The aphorism "time is money" holds true in EVE, especially when mining. This activity is an epitomic "grind" where your investment in time is directly related to your productive output. Nonetheless this activity can be immensely profitable when done efficiently. Moreover, it can be done with almost no risk to your ships or clones.
What ore should I mine? Currently the most profitable ore to mine is Prime Arkonor. It has an ISK to volume (m3) ratio of 371:1. The value of ore depends on the type and amount of constituent minerals in the ore, the market value of each mineral type, the volume of a single unit of ore and the amount of ore needed to refine (batch size). Ore value is based on volume because mining lasers extract a fixed amount of ore per laser cycle. (A caveat to this method of valuation arises when considering the utility of unrefined ore for missions. i.e. some unrefined ores are required to complete missions and are therefore sold in mission hubs for a cost above the market value of the constituent minerals.)
In high-sec space the most profitable ore is Viscous Pyroxeres which has a value of 162 ISK/m3.
If you accept this premise (method of valuation) then it logically follows that you would want to maximize the volume of ore you can mine in a given amount of time.
Where should I mine? The most profitable ores are found in null-sec, wormhole space and complexes. Mining in these locations requires security support to defend vulnerable mining fleets from NPC pirates and roving PVP gank squads. Additionally, mining in remote areas typically necessitates transportation of the minerals to lucrative high-sec markets.
*The builds described in this post are designed to be implemented in the relative security of high-sec space (1.0-0.5) - the so called "kingdom of caring." They are therefore not intended to be used during Hulkageddon or in any hostile territory.
Who should mine? Mining efficiently requires patience and a long term outlook to profit. Mining is only part of the value chain in production. An efficient miner will want to make the most of their mining activity by manufacturing T1 goods (at the very least). Being detail oriented, systematic and methodical will greatly help you in the planing and execution of any mining operation.
How? - And now we come to the purpose of this post.
Doing It Right
To get the highest volume per laser cycle requires working in a team. The most efficient mining vessel is the Hulk. In high-sec it will be paired with an Orca. In 0.4 space or less the Hulk will be paired with a Rorqual.
This is not always possible or practical, but when it is, mining is very efficient.
The Hulk
To use a Hulk effectively, train the following skills to level five:
Exhumers, Mining Barge, Mining, Astrogeology, Mining Upgrades, Energy Grid Upgrades, Drones Rigging, Astronautics Rigging, Electronics, Engineering, Mechanic, Targeting, Long Range Targeting, Energy Management, Energy Systems Operation, Drones, Drone Interfacing, Mining Drone Operation, Combat Drone Operation, Scout Drone Operation, Gallente Drone Specialization, Shield Operation, Tactical Shield Manipulation, Shield Management, Hull Upgrades, Warp Drive Operation, Evasive Maneuvering,, Refining, Refining Efficiency, (ore type) Processing, Cybernetics, Industry.
*tech II mining crystals can require metallurgy 4, the Hulk further requires science 4 and spaceship command 4.
Additionally, in order to refine your ore with 100% efficiency in a NPC station you need to have a standing greater than or equal to 6.67 toward the corporation that owns the station.
Not all stations have a high base refining efficiency. It is possible to refine 100% of the minerals from an ore at a high sec station that has a base refining efficiency of 50% if you have refining 5, refining efficiency 4 and the ore specific processing skill at 1. <www eve-wiki.net/index php?title=Refining>
The skills listed above increase the volume of ore mined per cycle for both lasers and drones, allow for the use of specific mining modules, mining rigs, defensive drones, mining drones and implants, and improve the ability of the ship to withstand attacks or escape if necessary.
THE BUILD: The volume per cycle for a Hulk is maximized by fitting two tech II mining laser upgrades, three tech II strip miners each using a tech II mining crystal, and a medium tech II mining drone augmenter rig. The utility of the Hulk is increased with the addition of a medium tech II cargohold optimization rig and mid-slot shield modules.
THE MATH (Lasers): 3 strip miners each with a base volume of 360 m3 per 3 minute cycle are affected by skills in the following way: Mining 1.05 per level @ L5 = 1.25x, Astrogeology 1.05 per level @ L5 = 1.25x, Mining Barge 1.03 per level @ L5 = 1.15x, Exhumer = 1.03 per level @ L5 = 1.15x. The yield is further modified by the 2 tech II Mining laser upgrade modules by a factor of 1.09 * 1.09 = 1.1881x and by the use of tech II mining crystals = 1.75x. Implants modify the yield like so: Michi Mining Excavator (slot 7) = 1.05x and Hardwiring - Inherent implants 'Highwall' HX-2 (slot 10) = 1.05x. (The yield and cycle time will be improved by the Orca or Rorqual pilots skills, this is covered in their section.)
THE MATH (Drones): 5 x Mining Drone II each with a base yield of 25 m3 per 1 minute cycle are affected by skills in the following way: Drone Interfacing 1.2 per level @ L5 = 2x, Mining Drone Operation 1.05 per level @ L5 = 1.25x. The medium tech II Drone Mining Drone Augmenter modifies drone yield by a factor of 1.15x. The drones must move within range of their target then mine for one cycle then move back to the Hulk to disgorge the ore from their cargohold. This takes time. The further your target asteroid is from you the more time the drones waste during flight. This wasted time can be accounted for with a variable called the Estimated Travel Fraction (ETF). It is based on an average asteroid distance of 13 km and a round trip time of 2 minutes 3 seconds (the time taken depends on the Drone Navigation skill) = 60 second mining cycle/123 second round trip = 0.4878x
Without the intervention of an Orca or Rorqual the Laser cycle is 3 minutes. The Drone cycle is calculated per 1 minute once the ETF is factored in. Thus in a 3 minute period there is one laser cycle and 3 ETF drone cycles.
(3 x 360 x 1.25 x 1.25 x 1.15 x 1.15 x 1.1881 x 1.75 x 1.05 x 1.05) + (5 x 3 x 25 x 2 x 1.25 x 1.15 x 0.4878)
This polynomial resolves to a volume of 5,115.7475 + 525.9093 = 5,641.6569 m3 but due to rounding is actually 5640 m3 per 3 minutes or 112,800 m3 per hour.
If you're in null-sec mining Prime Arkonor this results in a value of 371 x 112,800 = 41,848,800 ISK/hour.
If you're in high-sec mining Viscous Pyroxeres this results in a value of 162 x 112,800 = 18,273,600 ISK/hour.
However, reality is different from this scenario because asteroids can be exhausted partway through a laser cycle- wasting the remainder of that cycle. This happens frequently when mining the high-end variants of an ore because they tend to be smaller. Moreover, the miner, if working alone, would have to stop every time their cargohold was full to deliver the ore to a station which would require waiting for the drones to return and then waiting for the gates and then waiting to enter or leave stations and then waiting for the girl guide selling cookies at your front door. Mmmm cookies, Nom Nom Nom, but I digress...
If you don't want to waste time that could be spent mining by hauling many small loads of ore then conscript a corp-mate or just get another account. But then to be fair you would have to split the ISK/hour across each contributing account, after all the accounts could be used elsewhere making ISK some other way in order to buy the ships, modules and ammo that I sell.
To encourage cooperative play (or multi-boxing) CCP has provided a bonus to mining fleets in the form of a direct increase to yield and more importantly a reduction in laser cycle time (the second bonus doesn't affect drone cycle time) Thus we come to the section on the Orca and Rorqual.
The Orca
To use an Orca effectively, train the following skills to level five:
Leadership, Wing Command, Fleet Command, Mining Foreman, Mining Director, Spaceship Command, Industrial Command Ship, Mining Barge, Astronautics Rigging, Electronics, Engineering, Mechanic, Targeting, Long Range Targeting, Energy Management, Energy Systems Operation, Drones, Drone Interfacing, Combat Drone Operation, Scout Drone Operation, Gallente Drone Specialization, Shield Operation, Tactical Shield Manipulation, Shield Management, Hull Upgrades, Warp Drive Operation, Evasive Maneuvering, Cybernetics, Industry.
*Prerequisites for the Orca not mentioned above - Mining 4, Astrogeology 3, Science 4.
The Orca can operate in high-sec despite being labeled a capital ship. This ship plays a logistics role in the mining operation by serving as a large cargohold for the fleet. Miners with the appropriate standings which are close by can directly drop ore into the Orca corp hangar. The Orca pilot can also make good use of a small tractor beam II to collect ore 'jet cans' without moving at all.
The more miners there are in your operation the more effective an Orca is. It provides a direct boost to yield by way of the Mining Foreman skill 1.02 per level @ L5 = 1.1x. With the use of a Mining foreman Mindlink implant this bonus is superseded by a flat 1.15x bonus.
The Orca can also affect yield by reducing the need for miners to move. It does this by extending the range of mining lasers used in the fleet. The greatest utility of an Orca is in reducing the time it takes for a laser cycle to complete. Increasing the number of laser cycles per unit time directly increases the ore volume extracted per unit time. Cycle time is reduced with a module called the Mining Foreman Link - Laser Optimization II. This module provides an initial command bonus of -2.5x and is modified in the following ways: Warfare Link Specialist 1.1 per level @ L5 = 1.5x, Industrial command Ship 1.03 per level @ L5 = 1.15x, Mining Director 2 per level @ L5 = 5x (the notation means 100% increase in effectiveness per level *this is only evident after level 2), the Mining Foreman Mindlink implant also increases the Link effectiveness by 1.5x (in addition to its other bonus).
Cycle time is reduced in this way:
((2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 x 5 x 1.15)/100) = 0.3234375 (This value is -1% of the command bonus)
Laser Optimization bonus = 1/(1-0.3234375) = 1.4781x
Altogether the Orca adds a factor of 1.4781 x 1.15 = 1.6998x to each mining laser (but not to drones)
Therefore between one Hulk and one Orca the yield is a volume of (5,115.7475 x 1.6998) + 525.9093 = 9,220 m3 per 3 minutes (due to rounding) = 184,400 m3 per hour.
If you're in null-sec mining Prime Arkonor this results in a value of 371 x 184,400 = 68,412,400 ISK/hour.
If you're in high-sec mining Viscous Pyroxeres this results in a value of 162 x 184,400 = 29,872,800 ISK/hour.
The Rorqual
When in siege mode this very expensive ship provides an improved bonus to mining foreman gang links relative to the Orca - 10% per level for the Rorqual vs. 3% per level for the Orca.
I won't offer any suggestions for a Rorqual build or training regimen. If you have made it this far you know youll have to train every skill to 5 just to have a fighting chance.
The optimization is affected as follows:
((2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 x 5 x 1.5)/100) = 0.421875
Laser Optimization bonus = (1/(1-0.421875)) = 1.729729x
When combined with the Mining Foreman Mind-link the bonus becomes (1.729 x 1.15) = 1.9891x
There you have it. A Rorqual can nearly double a Hulks already prodigious productivity.
Between one Hulk and one Rorqual the yield is a volume of (5,115.7475 x 1.9891) + 525.9093 = 10,700 m
3 per 3 minutes (due to rounding) = 214,000 m
3 per hour.
If you're in null-sec mining Prime Arkonor this results in a value of 371 x 214,000 = 79,394,000 ISK/hour.
A Rorqual can't enter high-sec.
