Table of Contents

Refining


Refining ore is a pretty straightforward process, but you need to make sure you are maximizing your yield, or else you are leaving ISK on the table and losing profit. This means you will want to maximize your Reprocessing skills, as well as getting Cybernetics V for a 4% reprocessing implant, and always reprocessing in a T2 rigged Citadel.

Your refining efficiency for ore and ice relies on the following formula:

rate = facilityModifier * (1 + (0.03 * ReprocessingLevel)) * (1 + (0.02 * ReprocessingEfficiencyLevel)) * (1 + (0.02 * OreProcessingSkill)) * implantModifier * (1 - stationTax)

The facilityModifier is 0.5 for most NPC stations, 0.52 for Reprocessing Arrays in Highsec, 0.54 for Reprocessing Arrays in Lowsec/Nullsec, 0.50 to 0.60 in nullsec Outposts, and 0.50 to 60.48 in citadels (requires verification).

For ships, modules, and everything else, you will use this formula:

rate = facilityModifier * (1 + 0.02 * ScrapMetalProcessingLevel) * (1 - StationTax)

The facilityModifier is 0.5 for most NPC stations and nullsec outposts. There are no anchorable arrays for this.

The NPC Station Tax is as follows:

stationTax = 5.0% - (0.75% * CorporationStanding)

Net Yield with 50% Station Equipment

Reprocessing Reprocessing Efficiency Ore Skill (zero) Ore Skill I Ore Skill II Ore Skill III Ore Skill IV Ore Skill V
(zero) (zero) 50.00% - - - - -
I (zero) 51.50% - - - - -
II (zero) 53.00% - - - - -
III (zero) 54.50% - - - - -
IV (zero) 56.00% 57.12% 58.24% 59.36% 60.48% 61.60%
V (zero) 57.50% 58.65% 59.80% 60.95% 62.10% 63.25%
V I 58.65% 59.82% 60.99% 62.16% 63.34% 64.51%
V II 59.80% 60.99% 62.19% 63.38% 64.58% 65.78%
V III 60.95% 62.16% 63.38% 64.60% 65.82% 67.04%
V IV 62.10% 63.34% 64.58% 65.82% 67.06% 68.31%
V V 63.25% 64.51% 65.78% 67.04% 68.31% 69.57%

The Minmatar outpost can be upgraded to 40, 45, and 50% quality. Each upgrade is progressively more expensive, and permanent. Care must be chosen in which ones to implement. Other outposts can be upgraded with refineries but have a 10/20/30 progression. Citadels can provide even higher material yield, more so in dangerous space (Null/WH) with expensive rigs.

Citadel material yield scaling is as follows - 50% (No Rig, any space) / 52 (T1, HS) / 54 (T2, HS) / 55.12 (T1, LS) / 57.24 (T2, LS) / 58.24 (T1, Null/WH) / 60.48 (T2, Null/WH)

In a T2 rigged citadel in Null, with max skills and a 4% implant, the maximum ore yield you can achieve is 87.52%.

Mineral yield by ore type is found below. Note that 1 unit of compressed ore refines to the same quantity as 100 units of uncompressed ore.


Ore Yield

Ore
+5% Variant
+10% Variant
Tritanium Pyerite Mexallon Isogen Nocxium Megacyte Zydrine Morphite Location
Veldspar
Concentrated Veldspar
Dense Veldspar
415
436
457
- - - - - - - 1.0 (All Space)
Scordite
Condensed Scordite
Massive Scordite
346
364
381
173
182
190
- - - - - - 1.0 (All Space)
Pyroxeres
Solid Pyroxeres
Viscous Pyroxeres
351
369
387
25
26
27
50
53
55
- 5
5
5
- - - 0.9 (Amarr, Caldari)
Plagioclase
Azure Plagioclase
Rich Plagioclase
107
113
118
213
224
235
107
113
118
- - - - - 0.9 (Gallente, Minmatar) 0.7 (Caldari)
Omber
Silvery Omber
Golden Omber
800
840
880
100
105
110
- 85
90
94
- - - - 0.7 (Gallente, Minmatar)
Kernite
Luminous Kernite
Fiery Kernite
134
141
148
- 267
281
294
134
141
148
- - - - 0.7 (Amarr) 0.4 (Caldari, Minmatar)
Jaspet
Pure Jaspet
Pristine Jaspet
- - 350
368
385
- 75
79
83
- 8
8
9
- 0.4 Amarr, Gallente)
Hemorphite
Vivid Hemorphite
Radiant Hemorphite
2200
2310
2420
- - 100
105
110
120
126
132
- 15
16
17
- 0.2 (Amarr, Gallente)
Hedbergite
Vitric Hedbergite
Glazed Hedbergite
- 1000
1050
1100
- 200
210
220
100
105
110
- 19
20
21
- 0.2 (Amarr, Gallente)
Gneiss
Iridescent Gneiss
Prismatic Gneiss
- 2200
2310
2420
2400
2520
2640
300
315
330
- - - - -0.4 (Amarr, Minmatar)
Dark Ochre
Onyx Ochre
Obsidian Ochre
10000
10500
11000
- - 1600
1680
1760
120
126
132
- - - -0.2 (Caldari, Gallente)
Spodumain
Bright Spodumain
Gleaming Spodumain
56000
58800
61600
2100
2205
2310
450
473
495
- - - - - -0.5 (Amarr, Caldari)
Crokite
Sharp Crokite
Crystalline Crokite
21000
22050
23100
- - - 760
798
836
- 135
142
149
- -0.5 (Amarr, Caldari, Gallente)
Bistot
Triclinic Bistot
Monoclinic Bistot
- 12000
12600
13200
- - - 100
105
110
450
473
495
- -0.6 (All Space)
Arkonor
Crimson Arkonor
Prime Arkonor
22000
23100
24200
- 2500
2625
2750
- - 320
336
352
- - -0.7 (All Space)
Mercoxit
Magma Mercoxit
Vitreous Mercoxit
- - - - - - - 300
315
330
-0.8 (All Space)

Ore is refined in batches of 100 units, where each unit has different volumes. The mineral output listed above is based on a 100% yield, which is not attainable. So you will want to multiply your refine rate by these numbers to determine the total mineral yield.

For example, Arkonor has a batch of 100. You mined 1776 units and hauled it to a station equipped with a refinery. For every 100 units, assuming you have a refining yield of 87.5% (which is possible with max skills, a 4% implant, and a T2 rigged citadel), you will get 19254 units of Tritanium, 2188 units of Mexallon, and 280 units of Megacyte per batch. If you divide your 1776 units of ore by 100, you end up with 17 batches, with 76 units of Arkonor leftover. Your total mineral yield for 17 batches would be 327318 units of Tritanium, 37196 units of Mexallon, and 4760 units of Megacyte.