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Mine Laterite for Aluminum — guide illustration
Planetary materials

Mine Laterite for Aluminum

Laterite collected in Sylva caves gives you a repeatable ore route to Aluminum after smelting.

PC / Global, current version
WHERE & HOW TO FARM

Where to farm

Sylva cave layers, where deposits can be found among the planet’s underground regions.

Laterite is the ore to bring home; the Smelting Furnace turns it into Aluminum for crafting. This route focuses on a cave trip from a marked entrance and a return you can retrace. Cave resource placement varies, so use visible deposits rather than relying on an assumed location or guaranteed vein.

GET STARTED

How to farm

Before you go

  • Terrain Tool with storage for collected ore.
  • Oxygen supply for the cave route, such as tethers.
  • Smelting Furnace and power at your base.
  • Open inventory or storage space for Laterite and Aluminum.
  1. Choose a Sylva cave entrance you can identify from the surface and mark its location or approach.
  2. Lay a tether route into the cave before moving away from your oxygen source.
  3. Search cave walls and floors for visible Laterite deposits.
  4. Mine the ore with the Terrain Tool and collect the Laterite nuggets.
  5. Keep the path back open; use the same tether line when returning to the surface.
  6. Unload Laterite at your base and place it in the Smelting Furnace.
  7. Power the furnace and collect the resulting Aluminum for storage or crafting.

Farming tips

  • Bring back ore in manageable loads so the cave return stays straightforward.
  • Keep the furnace near storage so refined Aluminum does not clutter your field inventory.

Repeat, collect and use

Repeat the cave sweep while you need Laterite and can safely reach deposits. Smelting is repeatable for each ore load; a particular deposit is a one-time collection.

Common mistakes

  • Digging away the route home: preserve a clear path and use your tether line to retrace the entrance.
  • Confusing ore with its refined product: Laterite is mined, while Aluminum is collected after furnace processing.
  • Entering without enough oxygen coverage: place tethers as you go and turn back when the supply ends.

When to stop or switch

Stop when you have smelted enough Aluminum for the next recipes or construction. Switch to another Sylva resource route if no accessible Laterite remains along the marked cave path.

Sources & fact checks
REWARD DETAILS & CONDITIONS

Sources & rewards

Farming route

Mine Laterite for Aluminum

Sylva cave layers, where deposits can be found among the planet’s underground regions.

  • Terrain Tool with storage for collected ore.
  • Oxygen supply for the cave route, such as tethers.
  • Smelting Furnace and power at your base.
  • Open inventory or storage space for Laterite and Aluminum.
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