Star Citizen Refinery Guide - Ore Processing, Work Orders, and Selling Refined Cargo

Refining is the industrial step that converts mined ore into higher-value commodities in Star Citizen. Instead of selling material directly from a mining ship, you can submit the ore to a Refinery Deck, select a processing method, wait for the work order to finish, collect the refined output with a cargo ship, and transport it to a buyer.

Refining can increase the gross value of a mining load, but it does not automatically guarantee better profit. Processing fees, yield loss, waiting time, refinery bonuses, cargo capacity, travel distance, demand, and the risk of losing the final shipment must all be considered.

Quick answer: Sell raw ore when you need immediate aUEC, lack a cargo ship, or the load has limited value. Refine valuable ore when the additional output is worth the processing fee, waiting time, and final cargo run. For maximum margin, compare Dinyx Solventation, Ferron Exchange, and Pyrometric Chromalysis at the refinery terminal instead of selecting one method automatically.

How Refining Works in Star Citizen Alpha 4.8

The complete mining economy consists of four separate stages:

1. Mining: Extract raw material with a Prospector, MOLE, ROC, or another supported mining setup.
2. Refining: Process compatible raw ore through a refinery work order.
3. Hauling: Collect the refined commodities with a cargo-capable ship.
4. Selling: Deliver the cargo to a terminal that buys the refined material.

The refinery itself does not pay you for the completed work order. It produces refined cargo. The income is received only after that cargo reaches a valid buyer and is sold successfully.

Raw ore and refined commodities are different cargo types

Raw ore is the material collected during a mining operation. It can usually be sold directly or submitted to a refinery. Selling it directly creates a faster and safer payout because it removes the processing timer and the final hauling stage.

Refined material is the output of a completed work order. It has a higher potential sale value because useful material has been separated from waste, but it must be collected, loaded into a cargo ship, transported, and sold separately.

The practical difference is:

• Raw sale: Lower potential revenue, immediate payment, fewer logistics.
• Refined sale: Higher potential revenue, delayed payment, additional cost and transport risk.

How to Create a Refinery Work Order

To process mined ore, travel to a station with a Refinery Deck and access a refinery terminal. The terminal must be able to detect the mining ship, ore bags, or other supported source containing the raw materials.

Refinery work order steps

1. Land at a station that provides refinery services.
2. Store the mining ship when required by the terminal.
3. Travel to the Refinery Deck.
4. Open a refinery terminal.
5. Select the ship or supported ore source.
6. Select the materials you want to process.
7. Choose a refining method.
8. Review processing time, cost, expected yield, and output.
9. Pay the quoted fee and submit the work order.
10. Return after the timer finishes to collect the refined commodities.

Never confirm a valuable work order without reviewing the quotation. The quote is the most relevant source for that specific job because it accounts for the selected material, quantity, refinery, and method.

What to check before submitting

• Expected amount of refined material.
• Processing cost.
• Estimated completion time.
• Yield or efficiency of the selected method.
• Refinery bonuses or penalties for the material.
• Cargo capacity required to collect the output.
• Planned buyer and sale route.

If the expected gain over a raw sale is smaller than the fee and logistical cost, the work order is not economically attractive.

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Star Citizen Refining Methods Explained

Refining methods trade processing speed, fee, and yield against each other. No method is universally best for every load.

The method names may remain the same while their exact multipliers, fees, and processing times change between patches. Use the following table as a decision framework and verify the final values at the refinery terminal.

Best refinery method for maximum profit

Dinyx Solventation and Ferron Exchange are normally the first methods to compare when maximizing retained material is more important than completion speed.

Dinyx is suitable for jobs submitted before logging out because the long timer continues in real time. Ferron Exchange often provides a more practical compromise between high yield, fee, and processing time.

Do not assume Dinyx is automatically more profitable. A slightly higher yield may be offset by an excessively long completion time if it delays your next sale or leaves valuable material locked in an unfinished work order.

Best method for faster high-yield processing

Pyrometric Chromalysis should be compared when you want to preserve a strong yield without accepting the longest processing time. Its higher fee means it works best with valuable materials where the saved time is worth more than the additional refinery cost.

Best method for same-session processing

Gaskin Process, Cormack Method, or XCR Reaction can shorten the wait, but the reduced yield or higher fee can significantly lower the value of premium ore.

Fast methods make the most sense when:

• You need aUEC during the current session.
• A patch deployment or server reset may put unfinished jobs at risk.
• The material has limited value.
• Your refinery storage or job list needs to be cleared.
• The faster payout can immediately fund a more profitable activity.

Refining Time and Work Order Timers

Refinery time is calculated from multiple variables rather than the method name alone. Two jobs using the same method can have different completion times because their quantity and material composition differ.

The main variables are:

• Selected refining method.
• Total amount of material.
• Type and composition of the ore.
• Refinery location and current tuning.
• Active station bonuses or penalties.

Refinery timers continue while you are offline. You do not need to remain at the station or keep the game running.

Same-session strategy

Use a faster method or submit smaller work orders when you intend to mine, refine, collect, and sell during one session. This creates faster liquidity but normally reduces the maximum margin.

Overnight refining strategy

Submit high-yield jobs before ending your session and collect them the next day. This is usually the more efficient approach for valuable ore because the waiting period does not consume active playtime.

Do not create more jobs than you can collect

Every completed work order creates cargo capacity requirements. Several Prospector or MOLE loads can produce more refined cargo than a small hauler can transport in one trip.

Before submitting a large batch, calculate:

• Approximate refined output.
• Available cargo capacity.
• Number of collection trips.
• Distance to the intended buyer.
• Value exposed during each shipment.

Star Citizen Refinery Locations

Refinery services are available only at selected stations. Not every Lagrange station, landing zone, or gateway provides a Refinery Deck.

Common Stanton refinery stations

Additional refinery services may be available at gateway stations and locations in Pyro or Nyx. Station availability, ownership, access conditions, and refinery bonuses can change between patches.

How to choose the best refinery

The station with the highest material bonus is not always the most profitable station overall.

Compare:

• Yield modifier for your primary material.
• Distance from the mining area.
• Fuel and travel time.
• Security level and piracy exposure.
• Distance to the final buyer.
• Availability of shops, cargo services, and medical facilities.
• Whether your cargo ship is already stored at that station.

A nearby refinery with a slightly weaker bonus can produce more aUEC per hour than a distant specialist refinery once travel and risk are included.

Refinery Yield and Station Bonuses

Yield describes how much usable refined commodity remains after processing. A higher-yield job produces more sellable cargo from the same raw material.

The expected output is affected by:

• Refining method.
• Material type.
• Station bonus or penalty.
• Amount of inert or unwanted material.
• Current patch balancing.

Refineries can specialize in different resources. One station may improve the expected output of a particular mineral while applying a penalty to another.

Always check the material-specific modifier instead of selecting a station based only on its general reputation. This becomes especially important for high-value materials because a small percentage difference can represent a meaningful amount of cargo.

Raw vs Refined Ore Profitability

Refined ore generally has a higher gross sale value, but gross value is not the same as net profit.

Raw ore profit

A raw sale can be represented as:

Raw net revenue = raw sale value − mining operating costs

Raw sales avoid:

• Refinery fees.
• Processing delays.
• Cargo collection.
• A separate hauling ship.
• The risk of losing refined cargo during transport.

Refined ore profit

A refined sale should be evaluated as:

Refined net revenue = refined sale value − refinery fee − hauling costs − expected transport risk

The opportunity cost of waiting should also be considered. If a slow work order delays your capital or prevents another profitable activity, its theoretical yield advantage may not produce the best aUEC per hour.

When refining is usually worth it

• The load contains valuable minerals.
• The refinery offers a favorable material modifier.
• A high-yield method produces a meaningful increase in output.
• You can wait without losing active playtime.
• You already own or have access to a suitable cargo ship.
• A confirmed buyer is available on a reasonable route.
• The refinery and cargo systems are functioning reliably.

When selling raw is usually better

• You need immediate working capital.
• The ore has low value or poor composition.
• The refinery fee consumes most of the additional revenue.
• You do not have enough cargo capacity.
• The final route has excessive piracy or technical risk.
• You cannot return before a major patch or reset.
• Refinery terminals are not functioning correctly.

Simple profitability calculation

Before creating a work order, compare:

Additional refining profit = expected refined sale value − raw sale value − refinery fee − additional transport cost

If the result is small, selling raw may produce better aUEC per hour even when the refined commodity has a higher terminal value.

Collecting Refined Ore

When a work order finishes, return to the refinery station where it was created. Completed orders are not automatically transferred to another station.

Collection process

1. Bring a cargo ship with sufficient available capacity.
2. Store the cargo ship at the refinery station if required.
3. Open the refinery terminal.
4. Select the completed work order.
5. Select the correct cargo ship or supported storage destination.
6. Confirm that the full output fits.
7. Collect the work order.
8. Verify the cargo location before leaving the station.

Do not collect a valuable order into the wrong ship. Confirm the ship name, available SCU, and cargo state before accepting the transfer.

Recommended cargo capacity

A small or medium cargo ship is normally sufficient for individual Prospector jobs collected regularly. Multiple Prospector loads or MOLE operations may require a larger hauler.

Common practical options include:

• Nomad for small batches.
• Cutlass Black for smaller general-purpose loads.
• Freelancer or C1 Spirit for regular solo mining output.
• Zeus CL or Constellation Taurus for larger batches.
• Caterpillar or C2 Hercules for group-scale collections.

The best ship is not automatically the largest. Use the smallest ship that safely carries the planned output because larger ships can increase loading time, route exposure, and operating cost.

Where to Sell Refined Ore

Refined mining commodities are sold through trading terminals that purchase the selected resource. The material must be accessible from the cargo ship or supported storage source recognized by the terminal.

Major landing zones in Stanton commonly serve as sale destinations:

• Area18 on ArcCorp.
• Lorville on Hurston.
• New Babbage on microTech.
• Orison on Crusader.

Not every terminal buys every commodity, and demand can affect whether the entire load can be sold immediately. Confirm the buyer before beginning the cargo run.

For large or valuable shipments:

• Verify that the location buys the material.
• Check the expected price and demand.
• Select a route with limited unnecessary stops.
• Avoid announcing the cargo or destination publicly.
• Consider splitting an extremely valuable load.

Best Refinery Strategy for Solo Prospector Mining

1. Choose a mining area near one preferred refinery region.
2. Prioritize valuable materials instead of filling every available space.
3. Return before the ship or ore bags become unnecessarily exposed.
4. Compare Ferron Exchange, Dinyx Solventation, and Pyrometric Chromalysis.
5. Submit slow jobs before logging off.
6. Keep completed work orders concentrated at one or two stations.
7. Collect several compatible orders with a medium cargo ship.
8. Confirm the buyer before loading the refined cargo.

This separates the loop into dedicated mining and hauling sessions. It reduces waiting during active play and makes cargo planning easier.

Use the Star Citizen Mining Resources Guide to compare mineable materials before choosing what to extract and refine.

Best Refinery Strategy for MOLE Crews

MOLE crews produce more material and therefore need centralized job tracking. Every work order should record:

• Refinery station.
• Material composition.
• Selected method.
• Processing cost.
• Expected output.
• Completion time.
• Assigned cargo ship.
• Planned buyer.

Separate mining and hauling responsibilities whenever possible. The mining crew can continue extracting while a dedicated hauler collects finished work orders and completes the sale route.

For valuable group cargo, compare whether one large shipment or several smaller shipments provide the better balance of efficiency and risk.

Common Refinery Mistakes

Using the same method for every load

Method efficiency changes with the material, amount, station, and intended collection time. Compare the quotation instead of selecting Dinyx or Ferron automatically.

Ignoring refinery bonuses

A high-yield method can still produce a weaker result at a station that applies a penalty to the primary material.

Refining low-value mixed cargo

Processing fees and hauling effort may exceed the extra revenue generated by poor-quality loads. Compare the raw sale before confirming the job.

Submitting jobs at too many stations

Distributed work orders increase travel time and make collection more difficult. Use one preferred refinery region until your operation is large enough to justify multiple hubs.

Collecting without sufficient cargo capacity

Check expected output and ship capacity before collecting. Do not assume that a ship capable of carrying one raw mining load can carry several completed refinery jobs.

Leaving the sale route until the end

Choose the buyer before collecting the cargo. A refinery strategy is incomplete without a confirmed sale destination.

Treating refined value as guaranteed profit

Refined cargo remains exposed to crashes, piracy, server issues, cargo bugs, and demand limitations. Include these risks in the decision to refine.

Star Citizen Refinery FAQ

What is the best refining method in Star Citizen?

Ferron Exchange is a strong general option for high-yield processing. Dinyx Solventation can provide attractive margin when long processing time is acceptable. Pyrometric Chromalysis is useful when you want high yield with a faster turnaround and can accept a higher fee. The refinery quotation should determine the final choice.

Does refining continue while offline?

Yes. Work order timers continue in real time while you are offline.

Is refined ore always more profitable?

No. Refined commodities normally have a higher gross value, but refinery fees, yield loss, hauling costs, waiting time, cargo capacity, demand, and transport risk can make a raw sale more efficient.

Can I collect a work order at another station?

No. Return to the refinery where the work order was created.

Do I need a cargo ship for refined ore?

Yes. The completed output must be moved as cargo. The required capacity depends on the size and number of completed work orders.

Should I refine every material in a mixed load?

Not necessarily. Review the value, fee, yield, and station modifier for each material. Low-value material can consume processing capacity without generating meaningful additional profit.

Final Refinery Checklist

• Confirm that the station has a Refinery Deck.
• Check that the terminal detects the correct ore source.
• Compare at least two or three processing methods.
• Review time, fee, yield, and refinery modifiers.
• Compare the expected refined profit with an immediate raw sale.
• Confirm cargo capacity before submitting large batches.
• Record the station and completion time.
• Choose the buyer before collecting the cargo.
• Verify the cargo after collection.
• Protect the final haul because the refinery does not eliminate transport risk.

The best refinery strategy is not simply to select the method with the highest displayed yield. The correct decision maximizes net aUEC after processing fees, waiting time, cargo logistics, travel, and risk. Use high-yield methods for valuable loads when the timer fits your schedule, sell weak loads raw when the added margin is insufficient, and always plan the final cargo run before submitting the work order.