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)
| 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 +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.