Star Citizen 4.7 has turned mining from a simple money loop into a real industrial profession. We are no longer just cracking rocks for credits. We are also collecting high-quality materials for crafting, managing refinery yield, and choosing where risk is worth the reward.

That changes how we should mine. The best runs now come from knowing what to keep, what to sell, where to search, and how to fit your ship for the rocks you actually want. Here's the practical version of that guide.

• What Changed in 4.7
• Why this matters
• Quality tiers we should use
• What We Should Mine Now
• Old logic vs new logic
• Best Places to Mine
• General location logic
• System choice by goal
• Scanning Without Wasting Time
• Best scan methods
• Practical scanning rule
• Rock Handling: What Actually Matters
• The most useful field habit
• Extraction rule that saves money
• Primary and Secondary Materials
• Why this matters
• Best Refinery Strategy
• The core rule
• Smart delivery split
• Best Mining Ships in 4.7
• Quick recommendations
• Best Lasers
• Practical advice
• Best Modules and Builds
• Module basics
• Recommended builds
• Mining Gadgets
• Solo vs Multi-Crew
• Quantanium in 4.7
• What we should know
• Piracy and Survival
• Best survival habits
• Recommended Mining Workflow
• FAQ
• What quality is worth keeping?
• Is the Prospector still worth it?
• Is the MOLE better than solo ships?
• Is low-quality ore useless?
• Should we still chase Quantanium first?
• Final Thoughts

↖ What Changed in 4.7

The biggest shift is the new quality system. Every minable material now rolls with a score from 0 to 1000, and that score directly affects crafting value.

↖ Why this matters

• High-quality resources can improve crafted gear
• Lower-quality resources still sell or work as bulk inputs
• More materials are worth collecting than before
• Riskier systems tend to reward better average quality

From experience, this means we should stop thinking only in terms of highest value ore. In 4.7, a high-quality common material can be more useful than a low-quality premium ore.

↖ Quality tiers we should use

A simple working rule: 700+ is worth keeping if you care about crafting.

↖ What We Should Mine Now

Mining priorities are wider than they used to be. Classic high-value rocks still matter, but base materials now have real industrial value too.

↖ Old logic vs new logic

In practice, we should split every haul into:

1. Crafting mats

2. Cash rocks

3. Utility stock

That one habit keeps your storage cleaner and your refinery choices smarter.

↖ Best Places to Mine

Material distribution is more focused in 4.7, which makes route planning easier.

↖ General location logic

↖ System choice by goal

If you want consistency, Stanton still works. If you want better odds at premium quality, Pyro and Nyx are where the serious runs begin.

↖ Scanning Without Wasting Time

A lot of mining profit is lost before the laser even turns on. Good scanning saves time, fuel, and risk exposure.

↖ Best scan methods

↖ Practical scanning rule

If you already know what material you want, do not fly to every node.

That sounds basic, but it is one of the biggest differences between casual and efficient miners.

On asteroids especially, RS signatures are often reliable enough to cut down a lot of wasted approaches.

↖ Rock Handling: What Actually Matters

When we scan a rock in mining mode, three stats decide whether the job will be easy or annoying.

↖ The most useful field habit

Start just outside optimal range, then move in only if needed.

Why? Because it gives you more control over the charge and lowers the chance of instantly pushing into the red zone. From practical mining runs, this is one of the easiest habits to learn and one of the most effective.

↖ Extraction rule that saves money

Not every fragment is worth taking.

If a piece contains poor quality or too much waste, skip it. Cargo space is part of your profit margin.

↖ Primary and Secondary Materials

Rocks can now contain a primary material plus up to two sub-materials. That makes composition much more important than before.

↖ Why this matters

• A cash rock can also hide useful secondary stock
• A strong-quality sub-material may justify taking a mixed rock
• Your cargo fills faster if you extract everything blindly

The practical takeaway is simple: judge rocks by composition and purpose, not just nameplate value.

↖ Best Refinery Strategy

Refining decisions matter more in 4.7 because good quality materials deserve protection.

↖ The core rule

Prioritize yield over speed.

For most miners, the best refinery option is still the one that gives maximum retained output at the lowest reasonable cost.

↖ Smart delivery split

If you keep premium mats local and move sale goods separately, inventory management gets much easier.

↖ Best Mining Ships in 4.7

Each ship now fits a clearer role.

↖ Quick recommendations

• Best solo ship: Prospector
• Best beginner option: Golem
• Best overall mining platform: MOLE

From practical use, the Prospector remains the most balanced choice for solo players. The MOLE, however, is still the platform with the highest ceiling if we have crew.

↖ Best Lasers

Laser choice should match the rocks you expect to mine, not just the build you copied once and never revisited.

↖ Practical advice

• Use Helix if you want reach and crack power
• Use Hofstede if you want a more forgiving feel
• Use Impact when instability is the real problem

For most serious mining, Helix remains the standard answer.

↖ Best Modules and Builds

Modules are where a mining ship stops being generic and starts fitting your actual route.

↖ Module basics

↖ Recommended builds

Prospector: safe all-round build

Prospector: aggressive crack build

Prospector: control-friendly build

MOLE: optimized crew setup

If you are unsure where to start, use the Prospector Helix + Rieger C3 + Focus 3 setup. It is still one of the most reliable general builds.

↖ Mining Gadgets

Gadgets are still worth carrying for difficult rocks.

The real value of gadgets is simple: they turn borderline rocks into workable ones. If you are chasing harder nodes, they are often worth more than the time they cost.

↖ Solo vs Multi-Crew

Solo mining is still viable, but multi-crew has more upside than ever.

If we are talking about efficiency over time, a crewed MOLE is the stronger industrial tool. If we are talking about accessibility and consistency, the Prospector still wins for solo players.

↖ Quantanium in 4.7

Quantanium is still one of the most valuable targets, but its logistics may be less punishing than before if the current behavior remains unchanged.

↖ What we should know

• Still high value
• Still difficult to crack
• Still worth scouting with a team
• May no longer carry the old volatility pressure in the same way

That last point could change, so it is safer to treat Quantanium as valuable but still operationally sensitive.

If you are farming it seriously, use scouts and do not waste time moving the main mining ship into empty space.

↖ Piracy and Survival

Mining ships make attractive targets. That part has not changed, and 4.7 may make it more relevant because quality cargo is harder to replace.

↖ Best survival habits

If you are carrying valuable refined goods or premium crafting stock, treat logistics like part of the mining profession. Because it is.

↖ Recommended Mining Workflow

Here is the cleanest way to approach 4.7 mining:

1. Pick a goal — credits, crafting, or bulk materials

2. Choose the right system — safer Stanton or higher-value Pyro/Nyx

3. Scan efficiently — avoid blind approaches

4. Mine selectively — protect cargo space

5. Sort by purpose — keepers vs sale goods

6. Refine for yield — speed rarely matters more

7. Deliver smart — inventory for crafting, ship for selling

8. Stay alert — profit is only real if you bring it home

That loop is simple, but it creates a strong logic chain from scan to sale.

↖ FAQ

↖ What quality is worth keeping?

As a practical rule, keep 700+ for crafting stock, consider 900+ premium, and sell most lower-quality material unless you need it for bulk use.

↖ Is the Prospector still worth it?

Yes. It remains one of the best solo mining ships because it is flexible, efficient, and easy to build around.

↖ Is the MOLE better than solo ships?

Yes, if you have crew. It handles larger rocks better and scales more efficiently than separate solo ships working together.

↖ Is low-quality ore useless?

No. It still works for cash flow, bulk crafting, and missions. The real question is whether it deserves your cargo space.

↖ Should we still chase Quantanium first?

Only if it fits your goal. It remains excellent for value, but 4.7 makes high-quality crafting materials much more competitive as a mining target.

↖ Final Thoughts

Mining in 4.7 rewards a more deliberate style of play. The strongest miners will not just be the ones with the biggest laser. They will be the ones who understand quality thresholds, ship fit, route safety, refining efficiency, and when a boring material is secretly the right one to take.

If we mine with a purpose, sort our cargo intelligently, and stop treating every rock like a jackpot, 4.7 becomes one of the most rewarding industrial loops Star Citizen has had so far.