Ores and raw resources
Cobalt Ore
Cobalt is a useful production resource; locating a confirmed vein before building a large mining route saves unnecessary…
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Cobalt Ore
Planetary ore deposits and asteroid voxels. Planetary layers can include cobalt alongside iron or nickel, and exact placement varies by world settings.
Before you go
- A powered Ore Detector; a large-grid detector is useful for deeper searches.
- A Hand Drill or ship drills and cargo capacity.
- A powered Refinery with conveyor or direct input access.
Farming steps
- Set the Ore Detector to maximum range and sweep open terrain or an asteroid area at a manageable speed.
- Watch the HUD for cobalt signals and mark each promising location before moving on.
- Approach one signal and use a Hand Drill or ship drill to confirm the cobalt-bearing voxel.
- Mine the cobalt-bearing section and avoid clearing large volumes of surrounding stone before confirming the vein's extent.
- If the signal remains below the mined area, descend in controlled stages and scan again to locate the next layer.
- Move the ore to a powered Refinery, either directly or through connected cargo and conveyors.
- Collect cobalt ingots from the Refinery output or connected storage for later production.
- A large-grid detector's longer reach can help with deposits that a hand drill or small-grid detector misses.
- When cobalt appears near iron or nickel, track each ore signal separately so the correct material reaches the refinery.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat prospecting and extraction at marked signals as needed. A found deposit can be revisited until it is depleted or no longer worth the trip.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the first shallow signal marks the whole vein: scan underneath before moving away.
- Mining without checking the ore identity: verify the cobalt signal or voxel before filling cargo.
- Using an unpowered detector: restore ship power and confirm the detector is active before sweeping.
When to stop or switch
Stop when the cargo is full, the Refinery has enough cobalt for the next build, or the signal no longer leads to a useful deposit.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.