Elite Dangerous: Sub Surface Mining

Asteroids in Elite Dangerous are persistent objects. While this has gone through some changes it has been said that exploded asteroids need over 5 days to re-spawn. When it comes to mining, there is no advantage for anything less than A rated modules, so be sure to invest the credits and get the best.

Setting Your Fire Groups

Setting up the correct fire groups is important to the efficiency and an enjoyable experience. There are many steps to mining and fumbling around for the right tool can be irritating, especially under fire. Regardless of what order you have them in, or which fire button, here are some recommended pairings.

Discovery Scanner + Detailed Surface Scanner
Pulse Wave + Prospector Limpet
Seismic Charge + {your choice}
Abrasion Laser + Collector Limpet
Displacement Missile + Collector Limpet
Mining Laser + Collector Limpet

Surface Deposit Mining

Surface Deposits are spots that can be targeted on the surface of the asteroid. These surface deposits must be hit with an Abrasion Laser (different than a Mining Laser) that removes the deposit from the surface to be picked up. Surface deposits happen on asteroids both exploded, as with Core Mining, or unexploded, as with laser or Subsurface Mining.

The Hardpoint placement of your Abrasion Blaster is important and will affect how you line up your targeting. You’ll also want to make sure that you have enough pips to weapons to keep it charged. Your Abrasion Blaster can also kill your limpets. Not a common issue, but can happen.

Subsurface Deposit Mining

This is where you fire a special drilling missile into a small opening on the asteroid.

Arguably the hardest form of mining, and also arguably the most rewarding. To be efficient you’ll likely have to do many things at once. You’ll need to try and match the rotation of the asteroid (ones that have no or slow rotation are much easier), you’ll need to have good aim and targeting to hit a small moving spot (Hardpoint placement matters here).

The below is an example of a Tritium Subsurface Deposit that will require the Displacement Missile to exploit.

If done correctly then you get to move on to the missile ‘drilling’ into the asteroid as you hold the fire button. The mechanic here is you hold down your fire button and release the fire button once you wish to detonate the explosive. A line travels from left to right, indicating the drilling effect of the missile. Blue areas tick by from right to left. The blue areas represent where fragments will be produced. The trick is to release the fire button so that the moving line (moving from left to right) matches up vertically with a blue area (moving from right to left). When this occurs you get fragments.

elite-dangerous-sub-surface-mining-drilling-graph

The reason this is tricky is that the line moving from left to right, representing the drilling effect, moves at different speeds. This speed corresponds to the Density Graph in the background of the chart the line moves over. This is to represent a drill going at different speeds through the rock as it encounters different densities. The higher the density the slower the movement of the line (because the drill slows down). The lower the density the faster. You have to try and guess the speed of the line and when to release so that is lines up on a blue area when you do. Subsurface Deposits before they go away.

Subsurface Driven Mining Locations

ALGOL

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Benitoite, Monazite, Musgravite, Painite, Rhodplumsite, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap

Many spots to choose from. Pristine reserves. The screenshots show a few and there a total of 33 hot spots. There seems to be double overlapping Monazite, and Serendibite hotspots at least. One of the screenshots shows a tight overlap of Rhodplumsite and Serendibite. Great location for many of the higher paying materials.

Arietis sector xz-p b5-3

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

The following information is from https://www.reddit.com/user/vanderaj/ on the referenced Reddit post. Planet Arietis Sector XZ-P b5-3 1 2Alexandrite 2Bromellite x 3 2Void opal Several overlaps are high value overlaps if you don’t mind collecting more than one type of minerals, e.g. there’s a Alexandrite + LTD + granderite + tritium quadruple, and several others besides.…

COL 132 SECTOR AG-I B25-0

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, No Overlap

Eng: Easy. Outside the bubble. No NPCs. On the Guardian route “Eta Carina Sector EL-Y d16” Ita: Facile. Fuori bolla. No NPC. Sulla rotta Guardian “Eta Carina Sector EL-Y d16”

COL 285 Sector EF-N A50-5

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, No Overlap

Multiple high demand and high sell price materials, no overlaps but there’s little traffic.

Col 285 Sector NI-O B21-6

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Monazite, Rhodplumsite, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

This spot doesn’t have any same material overlaps, but does have a lot of different materials. This is a good spot for various materials.

Col 285 Sector TE-Q c5-7

Overlap Type: Tritium, Core, Sub Surface, Double Overlap

Double overlap of Tritium with a very, very tight pattern.

Col 285 Sector UJ-G C11-6

Overlap Type: Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap

The bromellite is a double overlapping hotspot. The are bonus spots that are NOT an overlap of the same material but rather three different types, Grandidierite, Void Opals, and LTDs. This is a useful spot for multiple mining opportunities.

Dumbae DK-I d9-2101

Overlap Type: Benitoite, Musgravite, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap, Not Sure

Overlapping Hotspot 2x Serendebite very close to 3x Benitoide overlapping Hostpot at 11 o’clock position Overlapping Hotspot Musgravite/Benitoide (close to the body) and 2 x Musgravite overlapping Hotspot at 1 o’clock position Found in Ring Dumbae DK-I d9-2101 A 2 unfortunately 22,784.92 ly away from Sol and 3,117.17ly away from Sagittarius A*.

Eol Prou IW-W e1-762

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Benitoite, Monazite, Musgravite, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, No Overlap, Not Sure

Abundance and diversity of resources, lack of pirates, proximity to the colony, very beautiful views.

Eol Prou IW-W E1-859

Overlap Type: Monazite, Painite, Platinum, Rhodplumsite, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

Multiple OverLaps (Platinum/Painite)

Eol Prou WI-W b17-2

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap

The ring is absolutely loaded with material spots looking a little bit like cheese with a Double Tritium hotspot and with in 30 LY of Colonia making it perfect for a free fill up with a mining ship for your or others fleet carriers.

Flyaurps GH-L b22-0

Overlap Type: Tritium, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap

A little signal is inside a bigger one, so going near the small tritium spot guarantee to have best mining.

Furuhjelm III-674

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Benitoite, Monazite, Musgravite, Painite, Platinum, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap

Lots of Hotspots for different mining possibilities, with lots of Fleet Carriers that resotck limpets. Not far from good selling spots as well. P.S. The double overlap is benitonite.

Gludgae UJ-K b8-10

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap, Triple Overlap

It has a Tritium Double Overlap and is on the route home for many doing a circumnavigation. In total it has 36 hotspots! So it makes a good watering hole for Carriers. Standard Density works out at 10.08, which indicates a good core density. 4 is only 1,166 ls from the K-type star, so no…

Greae Hypa TI-X b48-33

Overlap Type: Tritium, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap

Extremely far from bubble. Mainly for Fleet Carriers near the center of the galaxy.

HIP 103571

Overlap Type: Painite, Platinum, Rhodplumsite, Serendibite, Core, Sub Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

It’s in the middle of nowhere, there’s little traffic, and close to starting systems for new players. Rhoduplumsite is on the outer ring, Platinum, Painite, and Serendibite are on the inner ring with an overlap between Platinum and Serendibite. I don’t know what kind of mining is required, but I was just exploring and found…

HIP 16572

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Benitoite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Monazite, Serendibite, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

Directly from the referenced Reddit post: It is worth the time to go to HIP 16572. The planet is B 8 Ring B. It has 42 hotspots: 5 Alexandrite, 4 Bromellite, 9 Grandidierite, 6 Low Temperature Diamonds, 8 Void Opals and 10 Trition. Multiple Triple and Quadruple Overlays. It is the Motherlode of mining! The…

HIP 278 13 A

Overlap Type: Benitoite, Monazite, Musgravite, Platinum, Rhodplumsite, Serendibite, Core, Sub Surface, Double Overlap, No Overlap

1OOt per hr averaging finding a core every 7-12min with constant med to high yields per core. No harassment from NPCs, very quiet neighbourhood Double overlap Rhodplumsite with multiple spots of others, also A7 is loaded but no over laps

HIP 4351

Overlap Type: Low Temperature Diamonds, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Triple Overlap

Below is the very tight overlap of HIP 4351. Shot was taken in the shadow for better examination. Since the mining nerfs of LTD’s the graphs are not relevant anymore.

HIP 49080

Overlap Type: Low Temperature Diamonds, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

This is not an overlap of same material, but rather an opportunist overlap of Void Opals and LTDs. If you need or want to mine both, this is a good spot.

hip 61385

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface

HIP 95415

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Benitoite, Monazite, Musgravite, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap

Double overlapping Benitoite, and other overlapping materials of different types.

Hyades Sector ON-T C3-14

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Monazite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Multiple Material Overlap

This is a great mining spot for all sorts of materials.

Hypoae Aihm KP-C c27-5

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface

he ring density is 9.85. Co-Orbiting gas giant has Bromelite Overlap and is only a meagre jump away from another overlap hotspot system. This far out no one bothers you, though it needs a Fleet Carrier to reach.

Hypoae Aihm KP-C c27-6

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap

Bromelite Overlap (hard to see as they are on top of each other) LTD Overlap plus a Tritium/LTD overlap. Ring has a standard density of 9.75 which indicates a good core density. Another planet in the same system has 6 Grandiderite Hotspots.

LDS 413

Overlap Type: Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap

Double overlapping Void Opal hotspot & Double overlapping Tritium hotspot. The 2 Tritium spots are so close together there is less than 5Ls between them. So far mining has been alright, hoping to find lots of high percentage rocks.

LHS 6427

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap, Quadruple Overlap, Triple Overlap

Pristine reserves single hotspot > common reserves all day long. The ring system contains 9 overlaps of varying degrees. The attached table lists the materials starting at the 9 o’clock hotspot and works clockwise around the ring image from the closest to the body to the furthest out. One Grandidierite site has an overlapping High…

LP 834-42

Overlap Type: Benitoite, Monazite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, No Overlap

This Planet is only 240LS from the drop-out star and it’s only 1 Jump away from 6 different sell stations that buy Monazite for 600k+-700k+ (at the time of writing this) Station – System – Sell Price – LY from System Veblen Colony – LHS 184 – $718,906 – 15.44 ly Bruce Depot – LHS…

Nyeajaae OI-L b14-23

Overlap Type: Tritium, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Not Sure

A long distance to the bubble

Phrio Phoea RG-J d10-20

Overlap Type: Monazite, Painite, Platinum, Rhodplumsite, Serendibite, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap

Double overlap Monazite, double overlap Serendibite.

Phroea Phio CE-L B14-7

Overlap Type: Alexandrite, Bromellite, Grandidierite, Low Temperature Diamonds, Tritium, Void Opals, Core, Laser, Sub Surface, Surface, Double Overlap, Multiple Material Overlap

Out in the black, this exploration watering hole will help boost your next exploration mission and provide fuel for your carrier. Located ~6 kylies from Sol, it’s quiet. No pirates. Careful flyers could exchange shields for extra cargo capacity. On the way home for anyone doing a circumnavigation, it could easily provide a welcome distraction…