Ok. Let's say I mount up one of those 200% pentric beams. I go out and mine a 30% pentric rock. I do not get 60% pentric ore. I mined a 60-ish % rock, and didn't get near 100% pentric (And even less 120! Haha!). So, how does it work?

I'm thinking it might work like this:

Take a rock, 50% pentric and 50% silicate. Use the 200% beam. Think of the rock as 1 part silicate and 1 part pentric. With the bonus this becomes 1 part silicate and 2 parts (200%) pentric. However, since the rock now has *3* parts in total, the pentric yield is 2/3 - 66.7%.

Is that it?

If not, I would appreciate a clarification. :)

I never tested that but that sounds about right

Precisely. It doubles your chance of getting pentric ore, but doesn't change the chance of getting other ores. If you got 100% pentric you'd be increasing your chances by a factor of infinity.

Oooh! I want a factor of infinity! Can I have one?

~D.
"Nigel"

Interesting.

This means that for a low-yield rock, you can close to double the yield - but that yield will still be low. A high-yield rock will benefit very little from a specific mining beam - and you are best off with whatever beam gives you the best cu/heat ratio.

This means there's a breaking point for the beams, a point where the yield-% of a rock is so high, that a low heat mining beam is more efficient than a higher heat mineral specific beam...

Where's my calculator?

Ah, its not just the extract % that counts. You have to shift the break even point to take into consideration the heating rate with , say, HD beams instead of ore specific ones. Optimally you are looking for max profit / unit time, so the secondary ore sale price and station flight time must also be taken into consideration.

Erm, sorry . Its ok nurse , I'll take my medication now.........

The Estenk Deep mining Co.