Improving drill coverage and removing bottlenecks increases useful ore delivery from Nauvis patches.
PC / Global, Space Age edition included as optional expansion; base game scope
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
An operating Nauvis ore patch where drill coverage, output placement, or belt handling can be improved.
When a resource line falls short, inspect the miners and their route before opening another outpost. Mining drills need to overlap mineable tiles, and their output depends on drill speed and the resource being mined. Drills can output directly to belts, furnaces, and other compatible entities, so a well-laid out array can reduce extra handling. This is a repeatable capacity improvement for existing patches, not a separate resource source.
Mining drills appropriate to the patch and available power or fuel.
Belts or compatible direct output destinations.
A downstream smelting or production line able to accept added output.
Find the resource line that is failing to supply its consumers and follow it back to the patch.
Inspect each drill to confirm its mining area touches resource tiles and that it is operating.
Check the drill’s displayed output and the belt or direct destination receiving its mined material.
Reposition or add drills where uncovered resource tiles can be mined without obstructing the output route.
Connect added output to the same resource’s smelting or processing line, keeping unlike resources separate.
Run the array and check for backed-up belts, idle drills, or consumers that still lack input.
Expand the downstream route if the patch now produces more than its belts or processing equipment can accept.
Farming tips
Use the drill’s mining area overlay when planning coverage; a drill must touch mineable resource to operate.
Drills can place output directly into belts, furnaces, and other compatible entities, which can simplify layouts.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeatable as remaining patch tiles and downstream capacity allow; expansion does not make a finite patch inexhaustible.
Common mistakes
Adding drills that do not touch resource; verify coverage before extending the line.
Increasing mining while the output belt is already blocked; clear or widen downstream handling first.
Combining different ores in one feed; maintain separate routes through processing.
When to stop or switch
Stop adding drills when the consumer receives enough material or the patch is covered; switch to transport or smelting improvements if those stages limit flow.
