Optimizing Resource Nodes

Learn how to find, access, and extract resources from nodes in Satisfactory. Understand purity, deposits, and the best ways to automate your mining.

Hey there, pioneer! Let's talk about resource nodes in Satisfactory. These are super important spots scattered all over the world where you'll set up your extractors to get all the goodies you need to build your factory. Think of them as your automated mining hubs! ### Resource Deposits Sometimes, you'll find these chunky rocks sitting right on top of a resource node. You can't build your fancy Miners on them until you clear these deposits. Just walk up and give 'em a whack with your mining tool (press [`E`](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Controls "Controls")). Keep [`Tab ↹`](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Controls "Controls") open to keep mining without holding the key, but remember to close your inventory to stop. Some deposits, like those with [Caterium Ore](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Caterium_Ore "Caterium Ore"), [Sulfur](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Sulfur "Sulfur"), or [Raw Quartz](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Raw_Quartz "Raw Quartz"), are actually pretty useful to mine first. They can unlock new tech in your [MAM](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/MAM "MAM")! Watch out though, sometimes nasty creatures hang around these nodes, and you might even find [Uranium](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Uranium "Uranium") deposits near [Crash Sites](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Crash_Site "Crash Site"), which can be a bit of a deterrent. Oh, and some [Power Slugs](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Power_Slug "Power Slug") might be hiding behind them! These deposits are fixed in the world, but the resource type can be random. They always show up as 'pure' purity, but you won't get a full 100 items from them. Don't worry, all resource nodes themselves are infinite and won't ever run out! ### Getting to the Goods So, you've found a node, but there's a deposit blocking it. You'll need to clear it by hand first before you can place a proper [Miner](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Miner "Miner"). However, if you're in a pinch, you can use a [Portable Miner](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Portable_Miner "Portable Miner"). These can be placed right on top of a deposit, but they have limited storage and no conveyor belt output, so you'll still need to grab the resources yourself. Keep an eye out for those pesky [boulders](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Boulder "Boulder") with cracks on them, especially around [Caterium Ore](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Caterium_Ore "Caterium Ore") nodes. You'll need a [Nobelisk Detonator](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Nobelisk_Detonator "Nobelisk Detonator") to blow them up before you can build there. They block buildings, but not [Portable Miners](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Portable_Miner "Portable Miner"). ### Extracting the Resources Here’s how you can get resources from a node: * Manual Mining: As mentioned, you can just hit [`E`](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Controls "Controls") to mine deposits. It's slow but gets the job done in a pinch. * Portable Miner: Place one down with a [![Left]()](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ucp-internal-test-starter-commons/images/5/5f/Keyboard_White_Mouse_Left.png/revision/latest?cb=20200818143342 "Left") click. You can put multiple on one node, but you'll have to empty them manually. * Miner Building: This is the ultimate way to automate! You can only place one [Miner](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Miner "Miner") per node, and it has to be clear of deposits. But once it's set up, it's non-stop resource flow, and they can even be placed on [foundations](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Foundations "Foundations"). For Fluid resource nodes like [Crude Oil](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Crude_Oil "Crude Oil"), you'll need to build an [Oil Extractor](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Oil_Extractor "Oil Extractor"). There's no other way to get that sweet, sweet oil. And for Geysers? You build a [Geothermal Generator](https://satisfactory.fandom.com/wiki/Geothermal_Generator "Geothermal Generator") on them. That's their one and only job! Remember, the purity of a node (which we'll get to!) affects how fast your Miners work. Keep an eye on that as you expand!