“Moon mining is the backbone of many industrial corporations. Learn the mechanics, understand the ores, and you’ll soon discover why organised moon fleets are among the most profitable activities available in High Security space.”

What is Moon Mining?

Unlike asteroid belts or ore anomalies, moon asteroids do not exist naturally.

Instead, they are created when a corporation owns an Upwell Refinery (normally an Athanor or Tatara) fitted with a Standup Moon Drill.

The refinery slowly extracts material from the moon over a chosen cycle. When the extraction is complete, the corporation fractures the extracted chunk, creating a temporary asteroid field that can be mined by players.

Once mined—or after several days—the field disappears and the extraction process begins again.

This makes moon mining a scheduled activity rather than something that is permanently available.

How Moon Mining Works

The process follows five stages.

1. Anchoring the Refinery

The corporation anchors an Athanor or Tatara at a moon.

Only one refinery may be attached to a moon.

2. Beginning Extraction

The Moon Drill begins pulling material from the moon.

Corporation leadership chooses the extraction duration.

Longer extractions generally create larger asteroid fields.

Typical extraction periods range from one week to several weeks depending on the corporation’s mining schedule.

3. The Moon Chunk

During extraction you’ll see a huge rock slowly moving away from the refinery.

This is the moon chunk.

Although visible, it cannot yet be mined.

4. Fracturing

At a chosen time, the refinery fractures the chunk.

The chunk explodes into hundreds of mineable asteroids.

This creates the moon field.

Most corporations schedule fractures when the majority of their members are online.

5. Mining Begins

Pilots warp to the refinery and begin mining.

Once the field has been mined out—or naturally expires—it disappears completely.

The refinery then starts another extraction cycle.

Why Moon Mining is Different

Moon mining differs from traditional asteroid mining in several important ways.

Standard Asteroids	Moon Mining
Permanent belts	Temporary fields
Lower value ores	Higher value ores
Mostly minerals	Minerals and moon materials
Found everywhere	Created by refineries
Usually solo friendly	Best mined in fleets

Moon mining rewards organisation.

The more efficiently a corporation mines its moons, the more profitable those moons become.

High-Sec Moon Ore

Moon ores contain both standard minerals and valuable moon materials used in Tech II manufacturing.

These moon materials are the foundation of advanced industry throughout New Eden.

Every Tech II ship, module and rig begins with resources mined from moons.

Moon Ore Families

Moon ores are divided into five tiers.

Ubiquitous

The most common moon ores and what is found in Hi sec

Examples include:

Bitumens
Coesite
Sylvite
Zeolites

Excellent for new miners.

Common

Slightly more valuable.

Examples include:

Cobaltite
Scheelite
Titanite
Euxenite

Uncommon

A noticeable increase in value.

Examples include:

Chromite
Vanadinite
Sperrylite
Otavite

Rare

Highly valuable ores.

Examples include:

Carnotite
Zircon
Pollucite
Cinnabar

Exceptional

The highest-value moon ores available.

Examples include:

Monazite
Loparite
Xenotime
Ytterbite

These ores are uncommon in High-Sec and are prized by industrial corporations.

Understanding Moon Asteroids

Moon asteroids vary enormously in size.

Some contain only a few thousand cubic metres of ore.

Others contain hundreds of thousands.

Using a Survey Scanner lets you identify the largest asteroids, helping you avoid wasting mining cycles on nearly depleted rocks.

Large fleets often assign sections of the belt to avoid multiple pilots targeting the same asteroid.

Mining Crystals

Once you progress to Tech II Strip Miners, use the correct mining crystal for the ore being mined.

Each family of moon ore has its own crystal.

Using the proper crystal provides a substantial increase in yield.

Always carry spare crystals, as they wear out over time.

Recommended Ships

Venture

Perfect for learning.

Pros

Cheap
Agile
Warp Core Strength bonus
Excellent starter ship

Cons

Low mining yield
Small ore hold

Procurer

The recommended first mining barge.

Pros

Extremely durable
Difficult to gank
Good drone capability

Ideal for newer pilots.

Retriever

Designed for convenience.

Large ore hold means fewer trips.

Less tank than a Procurer.

Covetor

High mining yield.

Best used with fleet support.

Requires greater awareness due to its weaker tank.

Mackinaw

Large ore hold with excellent yield.

Ideal for longer mining sessions.

Hulk

The king of mining yield.

Outstanding productivity when properly boosted.

Requires strong support and careful flying.

Fleet Boosts

Mining in a fleet dramatically increases your efficiency.

An Orca typically provides:

Increased mining yield
Faster mining laser cycles
Increased mining range
Better capacitor efficiency
Fleet compression
Tractor beam support

The difference between mining solo and mining with full boosts can amount to millions of ISK every hour.

Compression

Moon ore is bulky.

Fleet compression allows miners to compress ore before hauling.

Benefits include:

Smaller cargo volume
Faster logistics
Easier hauling
Lower transport risk

Always compress before transporting large quantities of ore.

Hauling Ore

There are three common options.

Sell Through Buyback

The easiest option.

You receive immediate ISK without hauling to market.

Ideal for new pilots.

Haul to Market

Potentially higher profits.

Requires:

Freighter
DST
Orca support

Carries greater risk.

Refine

Experienced industrialists may refine their ore into minerals and moon materials for manufacturing.

Requires good refining skills and access to an efficient refinery.

LSE Moon Mining Best Practices

When flying with Last Stand Enterprises:

Join the fleet before undocking.
Ensure your Overview is configured correctly.
Bring the recommended fit for your ship.
Stay within Orca boost range.
Avoid mining asteroids another pilot is already working on.
Compress ore regularly.
Deposit ore through the LSE Ore Buyback programme if you don’t wish to haul it yourself.
Ask questions—our experienced miners are always happy to help.

Following these practices helps every fleet mine faster, earn more ISK, and keep operations running smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone mine a moon?

Yes. Unless access is controlled by player action, anyone can warp to and mine a fractured moon field. However, corporations generally expect members and invited guests to use their scheduled extractions responsibly.

Can I mine moon ore in a Venture?

Absolutely. While your yield is lower than a barge or exhumer, a Venture is an excellent way to begin earning ISK from moon mining.

Do I need special lasers?

No. Standard mining lasers work. Tech II Strip Miners with the correct crystals provide higher efficiency once trained.

Is moon mining better than asteroid mining?

In most cases, yes. Moon ore is typically more valuable and organised fleets provide boosts, compression, and convenient buyback services that increase your overall income.

How often do moon fields appear?

That depends on the extraction schedule set by the corporation operating the refinery. Some organisations fracture moons several times a week, while others use longer extraction cycles to create larger fields.

Final Thoughts

High-Sec moon mining combines strong profits, teamwork, and industrial gameplay into one of the most rewarding careers available to new pilots. Whether you’re mining your first load of Bitumens in a Venture or operating a Hulk in a fully boosted fleet, understanding how moon mining works will make you a more effective and valuable member of any corporation.

At Last Stand Enterprises, our regular moon operations, fleet boosts, ore compression, and competitive buyback programme are designed to help pilots spend less time worrying about logistics and more time doing what they enjoy—mining together and building New Eden’s industrial future.

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