Mining Guide/Areas

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This page has been retired but kept for historical or other reasons, The information on this page may be incorrect, out of date or just not relevant to this version of Discovery. It should not be taken as canon nor any authority on the current version of Discovery. It is kept simply to show some history of the Discovery Mod: The mining mod went through a thorough redesigning process for version 4.86, and many referenced ships have since been removed due to the imported model purge or the ship simply being replaced. See also: Discuss on the talk page. What Links Here • Page History • Historical Articles

Mining Guide Sections

How to Mine • Mining Areas • Mining Ships

Please note that while this guide is intended to help you with mining, it is neither conclusive nor exhaustive. It may or may not be accurate based on ingame developments, produced through FLHook activities and balancing. Changes may occur without warning.

This section describes many of the systems where you can mine whilst getting bonuses, I won't add the systems where you can mine uninteresting stuff like water (Note: I will add scrap mining but only in New London and New Berlin, as these are the only places where you will get a bonus for mining Scrap Metal). This guide does not list every mining location. For a more complete list of systems that can be mined in see Mineable Commodities. I will also add the best places to sell your ores, remember that these can vary from server to server!

Before I get started on listing the systems, I would like to add that the size of the bonus you get generally depends on how great the risk of mining there is. For example, High risk zones will get bigger bonuses then low risk zones.

Also note that though some locations may pay much more for the ores than others, you must also take into account the distance you need to fly in order for you to deliver your ores. It can sometimes be better to sell at the close selling points instead of the far away points in order for you to make the most profit for your time.

Liberty

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, a system that every player knows. This system is a real treat for both beginning miners and experienced miners, with several options to mine. Do note, however, that Pennsylvania is one of the most active system in terms of number of players. As a result pirate activity can get very high here, and most pirates know where to find the miners, so you aren't really safe from player pirates.

On the other hand, because this is the starter system, NPCs are very weak, so you won't have much to fear from them.

Okay, as you can see, there are 4 places where you can mine in Pennsylvania:

1. This is the Ralston Ice Field. It lies in the Hallam Nebula. It is here that you can mine Helium, the mining commodity for the newly started miner. The Hallam Nebula will severely restrict your vision, but also that of NPCs. It isn't unheard of that hostile NPCs fly right past you without noticing you. You don't need a specialist ID or IFF to mine here, everyone will get the same drop rate as others. Additionally, once you get to a certain point (cargo ships with 1000+ cargo hold) you'll be better off either trading or mining more valuable ores in order to make the most profit. Helium can be sold at the following places:
   • Osaka Storage Facility in the Honshu system will buy your helium for 1,450 credits a piece.
   • The Ring in New Berlin will buy helium at 1,250 credits a piece (note: Rheinland and Liberty are at war with each other, moving goods between them is prohibited, so if you are transporting stuff between these two houses, players RPing house militaries or police officers can stop you, you have been warned).
   • Canterbury Station in New London buys helium for 1,150 credits a piece.
   • Philadelphia Station in Pennsylvania buys helium for 550 credits a piece. As a refrence for those new to the concept of trading, sometimes it's beter to sell for cheaper, due to the fact that you can return to mining quicker.
   • Planet Erie in Pennsylvania buys helium for 400 credits a piece.
     
     
2. This field is currently disabled on Discovery Freelancer RP 24/7. The Wilkes-Barre asteroid field. This field will provide you with Silver Ore. This also is the most popular of all the fields in Pennsylvania. DSE is the specialist faction when it comes down to mining silver in Pennsylvania. Kruger will also receive a mining bonus here, however due to the war between Rheinland and Liberty, it is very out of role play for a Kruger ship to be inside Liberty. You can sell your silver ore at:
   • Narita Outpost in New Tokyo for 10,454 credits a piece.
     
     
3. This field is currently disabled on Discovery Freelancer RP 24/7. This field is very unknown amongst most people, mainly because it doesn't show as minable on your nav map. The reason for this is that the field isn't located in an asteroid field like all the others, but it is located within the ring surrounding planet Tremont. DSE is the specialist faction when it comes down to mining platinum in Pennsylvania. If you mine here, you'll receive platinum ore, which sells at:
   • Narita outpost in New Tokyo for 13,001 credits
   • Kensington Shipping Platform in New London for 11,451 credits
   • Pueblo Station in Colorado for 6,000 credits
     
     
4. This is a small field located within the Appalachian Asteroid Field. If you take the trade lane from Philadelphia Station to the New York jump gate, you'll see a Zoner mining ship in it (it's to your left). This field drops Hydrocarbons. Much like Helium, you can mine this with any ID or IFF you wish, however the drop rate is far lower than that of helium, and it won't sell for nearly as much as helium does. I only added this field as an informative thing, I highly recommend you don't mine here, as it is extremely slow and unrewarding.

Colorado

The Colorado system is the only system, apart from Pennsylvania, where you can mine in Liberty space. This system is filled with Xenos, however all rookie (NPC) xenos fly Starfliers or Startrackers, so they don't pose much of a threat to any player who knows a little about shooting guns. However they usually come in swarms, and can be highly annoying if you have ten of those buggers on you.

These fields may not produce bonuses on Discovery Freelancer RP 24/7

1. The Silverton Asteroid Field, like its name suggests, is a Silver Ore producing field. DSE is the specialist faction when it comes down to mining silver in Liberty. Kruger will also receive a mining bonus here, however due to the war between Rheinland and Liberty, it is very out of role play for a Kruger ship to be inside Liberty. I have noticed that the drop rate here is lower than in Pennsylvania, but then again, it's closer to the selling place, which is:
   • Narita Outpost in New Tokyo for 10,454 credits a piece.
     
     
2. The Copperton Asteroid Field, again like it's name suggests, its where you can find Copper Ore. If you are new to freelancer, and don't know your way around the universe yet, this would be a very good place for you to start, as both the mining site as well as the selling place are within the Liberty House. It is also a very good ore for miner/haulers, since they won't have to travel very far in order to sell their ores. As with silver, DSE is the best choice if you want to mine copper. Copper Ore can be sold at:
   • Planet Houston in the Texas System for 8,300 credits

Bretonia

New London

New London is the capital of the Bretonian Empire, and it holds the first of the many mining sites that can be found in Bretonia.

The only thing that can be mined here is Scrap Metal in the Southampton Debris Field.

There are two factions that get a bonus for mining scrap metal, and these are the Junkers, and ALG Waste Disposal. The Junkers also have a base within the Southampton Debris Field, so they aren't far from home in this case. Both factions have different places where they should sell their scrap.

ALG should sell their scrap metal at:

• Fuchu Prison in Shikoku for 3,200 credits
• BPA Newgate in Manchester for 2,200 credits
• Vierlande Prison in Hamburg for 800 credits

Whilst the Junkers can sell their ores at:

• Tripoli Shipyard in Omicron Gamma for 3,200 credits
• Invergordon Space Port in Inverness for 3,200 credits
• Valetta Shipyard in Omicron Alpha for 3,120 credits
• Bornholm Depot in Omega 15 for 2,200 credits

The reason for this separation is hard to explain, so I'll only explain it very rudimentarily. Junkers are semi-lawful, which means they are accepted by house governments, but the police and military aren't really fond of them. As such they wouldn't be allowed, nor would they want to dock, with prison stations. ALG, however, is a lawful Rheinland company that specializes in waste disposal and is famous for it throughout the houses, it would only be the most obvious choice for governments to hire these guys to provide there stations with the Scrap Metal they need.

Dublin

Dublin is often referred to as the golden system, guess why.

If you guessed it is because you can mine Gold Ore there, you are correct. Gold Ore can be mined here in EVERY field you see, they will all drop that sweet shiny metal, though not all fields drop at the same rate. A warning is in order however, the mollies are fighting for an independent Dublin, and in one of the fields they have their base. In this field, they will also patrol with gunboats, which are really tough bastards to fight, so be cautious. The gold you mine here can be sold in the following places:

• Ingolstadt Station in Munich for 16,200 credits
• Detroit Munitions in New York for 13,800 credits.

BMM, Kishiro and Samura all get a mining bonus for mining Gold Ore in Dublin, however Kishiro and Samura are both Kusari companies, and since Kusari is at war with Bretonia, you shouldn't expect a warm welcome. If the armed forces find you, you'll be in a heap of trouble.

The IMG also gets a mining bonus, but it isn't as high as the bonus that the other factions receive.

Leeds

Leeds is the industrial system of Bretonia, as such it is a heavily polluted system. It is also the frontline in the battle between the Kusari Naval Forces and the Bretonian Armed Forces.

1. These are the west and east Leeds smog clouds, the result of years of heavy pollution. If you mine in these fields you will get Toxic Waste, which sells on many bases, however the best one would be Dortmund Station in New Berlin, which pays 313 credits for it. Only ALG will get a mining bonus for this one. This commodity was mainly added to give players who want to RP an ALG employee something extra to do. Don't expect to make a lot of money if you decide on mining here.
   
   
2. The Stokes asteroid field is much more interesting than the smog clouds, mainly because of what it drops, Niobium Ore. This can be sold at
   • Planet New Berlin for 12,654 credits
   • Kensington Shipping Platform for 5,311 credits

Like in Dublin, BMM, Kishiro and Samura get mining bonuses here. The only difference now is that none of them is really safe here, as both Kusari Naval Forces and Bretonian Armed Forces are patrolling this system.

The IMG also gets a bonus for mining Niobium Ore, however they have much better places to do this, so I would seriously advise against mining here as an IMG miner.

Cambridge

Although Cambridge is a less populated system, meaning less pirates, both routes to ore sellers incorporate their own challenges.

Both fields in this system will drop Beryllium Ore, which can be sold at:

• The Ring in New Berlin for 10,458 credits
• Narita Outpost for 7,745 credits

BMM gets the best bonus for mining Beryllium Ore, although the IMG also gets a smaller bonus. If you want to mine Beryllium Ore as a BMM player, I suggest you stick to field number two (which doesn't seem to have a name), as the Cardiff Asteroid Field belongs to the IMG according to the infocards, and seeing as the IMG and BMM aren't the closest of friends, I doubt they will be willing to work together.

Rheinland

Rheinland is the third and final house where we can find mining areas worth mentioning. Also, unlike in Liberty and Bretonia, NPCs are starting to become a problem here. I have seen swarms of Red Hessian patrols taking down even the strongest of transport shields, so be sure to fill up on bots and bats if you mine here.

New Berlin

New Berlin is very much like New London in terms of mining. All you can mine is Scrap Metal, and all of it can be found in one field, the Ruhrfeld. However, only a small part of the Ruhrfeld will be is mineable, so be sure you are in the correct location.

There are 2 factions that get a bonus for mining Scrap Metal, and these are the Junkers, and ALG Waste Disposal. The Junkers also have a base within the Ruhrfeld, so they aren't far from home in this case, but neither is the ALG, as they have a base not so far from the Ruhrfeld. Both factions have different places where they should sell their scrap.

ALG should sell their scrap metal at:

• Fuchu Prison in Shikoku for 3,200 credits
• BPA Newgate in Manchester for 2,200 credits
• Vierlande Prison in Hamburg for 800 credits

Whilst the Junkers can sell their ores at:

• Tripoli Shipyard in Omicron Gamma for 3,200 credits
• Invergordon Space Port in Inverness for 3,200 credits
• Valetta Shipyard in Omicron Alpha for 3,120 credits
• Bornholm Depot in Omega 15 for 2,200 credits

The reason for this separation is hard to explain, so I'll only explain it very simply. Junkers are semi-lawful, which means they are accepted by house governments, but the police and military aren't really fond of them. As such they wouldn't be allowed, nor would they want to dock, with prison stations. ALG, however, is a lawful Rheinland company that specializes in waste disposal and is famous for it throughout the houses. This makes ALG the most obvious choice for governments as Scrap Metal providers.

Dresden

Dresden has the longest history of mining of any system in or near Rheinland, as it has held mining operations for centuries. As a result, it's almost mined out, so there aren't many mineable spots to be found here.

1. Daumann Lavafeld is the first field, and it holds both Copper Ore and Cobalt Ore. If you check your nav map, you'll see that there are in fact a few small mining locations in this field, something that is very common in Rheinland mining fields. Like the name suggests, Daumann owns the mining rights to this field. However, Kruger gets the highest mining bonus for Cobalt Ore and Copper Ore, while Daumann gets a smaller bonus.
   • The Copper Ore mined here can be sold at Planet Houston in the Texas System for 8,300 credits.
   • The Cobalt Ore can be sold at Ingolstadt Station in the Munich system for 10,790 credits.
     
     
2. This is the Schwefelnebel, and it's the only source of Uncut Diamonds within the Dresden system. Kruger holds the exclusive mining rights of this field. Diamonds can be sold at:
   • Narita Outpost in New Tokyo for 9,960 credits
   • The Ring in New Berlin for 5,229 credits

Daumann is the only faction that gets a bonus for mining diamonds.

Now, the observant readers should have noticed a few odd things about Dresden. First off, the mining factions both have claims to fields they don't have high drops of. Odd isn't it. The reasons for this are that they both invested their time and knowledge in other systems, and as such their areas of expertise have shifted over the years. If you want to mine in Dresden, with the maximum mining bonus for the commodities, then remember you are committing corporate theft, as you will be mining in areas that are owned by a rival company.

Do note that Copper Ore only sells in Texas, but Rheinland and Liberty are at war, as a result, there is a trade embargo between the two. If you are mining Copper Ore, smugglers will have to take it to Liberty, as Rheinland companies aren't allowed in Liberty, and the Rheinland government won't accept its companies moving resources to the enemy.

Omega 11

Technically speaking, Omega 11 is not part of Rheinland. However, since a Rheinland company is mining there, I added this under Rheinland.

Now, the drawing I made may seem strange, but let me explain. Mining here is done in a small ring of planetary debris around the sun, the Von Rohe Belt. Here, you'll find a large supply of Uncut Diamonds, ready to be mined. Daumann has a base close by, and if you are mining here, you'll need it. Diamonds can be sold at:

• Narita Outpost in New Tokyo for 9,960 credits
• The Ring in New Berlin for 5,229 credits

Daumann is the only faction that gets a bonus for mining Uncut Diamonds.

Now, why would I say you would need that Daumann base? Simple, the mining field is filled with radiation, which will eat away your ship's hull at a fairly rapid rate. Always have nanobots with you when mining here! Having a decent Armor upgrade can help a lot. Also, I marked a second line, where the Von Rohe Belt ends, because it's very dangerous to proceed in there. If you are, then start praying cause chances are you won't make it out, due to the extreme amount of radiation there.

Omega 7

Omega 7 is completely covered by the Walker Nebula, which gives it its orange glow and limits sensors and visual range. Like Omega 11 it's an independent system, but again with Rheinland companies mining in them. Also, some places have volatile gas pockets, so be cautious flying through Omega 7.

1. The Ebersfelde Cloud, a field that is being mined by Kruger. You will find Cobalt Ore, Copper Ore and Silver Ore here.
   • The Cobalt Ore can be sold at Ingolstadt Station in the Munich system for 10,790 credits
   • The Copper Ore mined here can be sold at Planet Houston in the Texas System for 8,300 credits
   • The Silver Ore can be sold at Narita Outpost in New Tokyo for 10,454 credits
     
     
2. The Furstenfelde Cloud, which is mainly being mined by Daumann. You will find Cobalt Ore and Copper Ore here.
   • The Cobalt Ore can be sold at Ingolstadt Station in the Munich system for 10,790 credits
   • The Copper Ore mined here can be sold at Planet Houston in the Texas System for 8,300 credits

Kruger recieves the best bonus for Cobalt Ore, Copper Ore and Silver Ore. The IMG could technically also mine in Omega 7, but they won't get a bonus as high as the one of Kruger. Daumann also gets a mining bonus for Cobalt Ore and Copper Ore, but it's not as high as the Kruger bonus.

Do note that Copper Ore only sells in Texas, but Rheinland and Liberty are at war, as a result, there is a trade embargo between the two. If you are mining Copper Ore, smugglers will have to take it to Liberty, as Rheinland companies aren't allowed in Liberty, and the Rheinland government won't accept its companies moving resources to the enemy.

The Taus

The tau systems are mostly outside of house control. Both Bretonia and Kusari are claiming some of these systems as their own. This is one of the reasons for the war between these two houses. Outcasts are very active in these regions of space, so be warned.

Tau 23

Tau 23 is located in a very large asteroid field, completely covering the entire system except for a small area surrounding the sun. Only a few mining locations can be found however, so don't try to mine other than in these parts of the system.

1. The Niobium Ore mining area. It's divided in 3 smaller regions, with each of them having a buoy in the middle of it. I have noticed something funny about this field, namely that if you are alone or with 1 or 2 others there, chances are you'll never see a NPC patrol, however, should you exceed this amount of people, patrols will start to pop up.Niobium can be sold at:
   • Planet New Berlin for 12,654 credits
   • Kensington Shipping Platform in New London for 5,311 credits
   • Alesia Station in Burgundy for _____ credits
     
     
2. The Beryllium Ore field. You can easily find it when you come through the Tau 31 jump gate, as there are unfinished trade lanes going to it. The nearby located base is owned by BMM. Beryllium Ore can be sold at:
   • The Ring in New Berlin for 10,458 credits
   • Narita Outpost in New Tokyo for 7,745 credits
   • Alesia Station in Burgundy for 8,300 credits

The IMG is the best faction to mine Niobium Ore here, as BMM or other companies like Kishiro or Samura would never venture so deep into a system infested with pirates. The GMS also receives a bonus for mining Niobium ore.

The Beryllium Ore field on the other hand is perfectly suited for BMM miners, as BMM has some stationary miners in the field. However the problem here is that you'll need independent traders to move your ores to Narita Outpost. Why Narita? Well, mainly because it's the safest and most cost efficient solution. Remember, all systems leading into Tau 23 are controlled by enemies of BMM, so it might be challenging to get a miner in or out of that system.

The GMS also specializes in mining Beryllium Ore. The sale point for this ore is at Alesia Station in Burgundy and will yield you _____ credits per unit.

Tau 37

Tau 37 is right at the doorstep of the Outcasts home world, so you shouldn't be surprised finding a lot of them here.

The Malvinas Cloud is where all the mining activity takes place. You will notice that your drops of Niobium Ore are noticeably larger here than in Tau 23, however that increase comes at a big price. Outcast NPC patrols, as well as outcast players are very frequent within this system, and mining here is near to impossible if you don't have someone to deal with both problems.

Niobium can be sold at:

• Planet New Berlin for 12,654 credits
• Kensington Shipping Platform in New London for 5,311 credits
• Alesia Station in Burgundy for _____ credits

Like in Tau 23, only the IMG should mine here, for the same reasons. No company would be so stupid as to actually go there when the danger is so high.

Mining Guide Sections

How to Mine • Mining Areas • Mining Ships