Mining

The RuneScape Wiki also has an article on: rsw:MiningThe RuneScape Classic Wiki also has an article on: classicrsw:Mining

This article has a calculator here. Calculators determine experience and costs based on real-time prices from the Grand Exchange Market Watch.

This article is about the Mining skill. For information on training Mining, see Mining training (F2P) (P2P).

For a list of all requirements and unlockables within the Mining skill, see Mining/Level up table.

Mining
Released		4 January 2001 (Update)
Also called		Mine
Members		No
Type		Gathering
Statistics
Players with 99		29,985 as of 1 July 2020 - update
Players with 200M XP		56 as of 1 July 2020 - update

Mining is a skill that allows players to obtain ores and gems from rocks. With ores, a player can then either smelt bars and make equipment using the Smithing skill or sell them for profit. Mining is one of the most popular skills in RuneScape as many players try to earn a profit from the skill. Mining areas are identified with a regular pickaxe icon, and mining shops are identified with a gold pickaxe icon on the minimap and world map.

Mining level up - normal

The music that plays when levelling up.

Mining level up - with unlocks

The music that plays when levelling up and unlocking new content.

How to mine

A player using a rune pickaxe to mine ores.

To mine, a player will first need a pickaxe. Upon locating a mine, the player can select a rock and left-click it to begin mining. As a player is mining a rock, they will eventually obtain an ore (or a gemstone). This ore can either be used in the Smithing skill or it can be sold.

Every mining cycle, there is a chance to succeed and obtain an ore. Using a higher-tier pickaxe can both increase mining speed and increase the chance of success when mining.

Pickaxes

Main article: Pickaxe

Pickaxes, or "picks," are needed to mine rocks. They can be equipped as a weapon, giving players one extra space in their inventory. However, pickaxes cannot be made using the Smithing skill. Pickaxes can be bought from either Nurmof in the Dwarven Mine or Tati in Keldagrim, or from other players. Nurmof's Pickaxe Shop in the Dwarven Mine is labelled on the minimap as a gold pickaxe.

A player's Mining level determines the type of pickaxe they can mine with. Higher level pickaxes grant more frequent opportunities to obtain an ore from a rock, but have no effect upon the chance of successfully doing so.

Pickaxe		Level	Level	GE Price	Members
	Bronze pickaxe	1	1	43
	Iron pickaxe	1	1	26
	Steel pickaxe	6	5	541
	Black pickaxe	11	10	2,826
	Mithril pickaxe	21	20	353
	Adamant pickaxe	31	30	1,895
	Rune pickaxe	41	40	18,776
	Dragon pickaxe	61	60	4,997,259
	Infernal pickaxe	61	60	6,472,684
	3rd age pickaxe	61	65	1,421,451,184
	Crystal pickaxe	71	70	N/A

Other equipment

Besides the pickaxes discussed above, the following items have some effect on mining:

• Parts of prospector outfit increase Mining experience rates.
• Varrock armour provides a 10% chance to mine two ores of certain types (depending on tier) simultaneously.
• Mining cape provides a 5% chance of receiving an extra ore while mining ore up to adamantite.
• Mining gloves, Superior mining gloves and Expert mining gloves provide a chance that when mining certain ores, the rock will not be depleted.
• Coal bag can store up to 27 Coal, possibly improving mining efficiency.
• Gem bag can store up to 60 uncut gems of each Sapphire to Dragonstone, possibly improving efficiency when mining gem rocks or perhaps even in Motherlode Mine.
• Amulet of glory increases the chances of randomly finding gems while mining from 1/256 to 1/86, if it has a minimum of 1 charge remaining.

Mineable items

Ores are obtained from the different types of rocks, usually found in mines. On the minimap, mines are labelled with a grey pickaxe. The colour of a rock corresponds to the ore's colour.

When players click on a rock, they will hit it with their pickaxe and try to get the ore out. The higher level rocks, such as mithril and adamantite, take longer for players to mine an ore out of them, making the player require patience.

After the ore has been mined, the rock will turn grey for a while. Eventually the ore will respawn and the rock will regain its colour. Players can only mine a rock when ore is available. Ore respawn times differ with the difficulty of the rock. For example, runite rocks take 12 minutes to respawn while iron rocks take about three seconds.

Level	Item		Experience	GE Price	Notes	Members
1		Clay	5	140	Clay is used in Crafting to make small items such as pots.
1		Rune essence	5	11	To mine rune essence, players will need to complete the Rune Mysteries quest. It is used in the Runecraft skill. Rune essence does not have a respawn time, allowing players to click once on the rock and wait until their inventory is full.
1		Copper	17.5	54	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt a copper ore with a tin ore to make a bronze bar.
1		Tin	17.5	52	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt a copper ore with a tin ore to make a bronze bar.
10		Limestone	26.5	178	Limestone is needed in the members' quest Regicide. It can be crafted into limestone bricks, which are used in the Construction skill. It is also used to smelt quicklime.
10		Blurite	17.5	N/A	Blurite ore is needed in the The Knight's Sword quest. It is also a crucial component for smelting blurite bars, used to create blurite crossbows and blurite bolts.
15		Iron	35	96	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt an iron ore to make an iron bar or smelt it with 2 coal to make a steel bar.
20		Elemental	0	N/A	Elemental ore can only be mined during and after the Elemental Workshop quests, and is smelted with 4 coal into an elemental metal which is used in making elemental shields and elemental helmets.
20		Daeyalt	17	N/A	Daeyalt ore can only be mined from the Meiyerditch Mine during and after the Darkness of Hallowvale quest. Mining 15 ores is required before being released from the mine. It is untradeable.
20		Silver	40	48	Silver ore is used in the Crafting skill to make items such as tiaras.
22		Volcanic ash	10	69	To mine volcanic ash, players will need to complete Bone Voyage. Ash is used to create compost potions and ultracompost.
30		Pure essence	5	2	To mine pure essence, players will need to complete the Rune Mysteries quest. It is used in the Runecraft skill. Pure essence does not have a respawn time, allowing players to click once on the rock and wait until their inventory is full.
30		Coal	50	146	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt coal with other ores as follows: 2 coal and an iron ore to make a steel bar, 4 coal and a mithril ore to make a mithril bar, 6 coal and an adamantite ore to make an adamantite bar, or 8 coal and a runite ore to make a runite bar.
30		Pay-dirt	60	N/A	Pay-dirt can only be mined in the Motherlode Mine in the southern area of the Dwarven Mine. Can be cleaned using the machine in the centre of the mine. Ores received from this machine can range from coal to runite, depending on the player's Mining level.
35		Sandstone	30-60	N/A	Available at the quarry south of the Bandit Camp in the Kharidian Desert. Used in the Enakhra's Lament quest.
38		Dense essence block	12	N/A	38 Crafting is also required to mine these blocks. Dense essence blocks are used in the process to craft blood runes/soul runes on
40		Gem rocks	65	Variable	Gem rocks are only available to members who have completed the Shilo Village quest. Gem rocks can also be found randomly during the Tai Bwo Wannai Cleanup minigame. Mining a gem rock gives the player a gem ranging from opal to diamond, which can be used in the Crafting skill.
40		Gold	65	150	Gold ore is used in the Crafting skill to make items such as jewellery.
42		Volcanic sulphur	25	N/A	Used to make dynamite for the Blast mine. Players should wear face protection while mining volcanic sulphur to reduce the amount of damage intake from the gases.
45		Granite	50-75	N/A	Available at the quarry south of the Bandit Camp in the Kharidian Desert. Used in Enakhra's Lament and King's Ransom.
55		Mithril	80	127	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt a mithril ore with four (4) coal to make a mithril bar.
60		Lunar	0	N/A	Used during the Lunar Diplomacy quest to make a lunar helm.
65		Lovakite	10	N/A	Only found in Lovakengj. Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt a lovakite ore with two (2) coal via Lovakite furnace to make a lovakite bar.
70		Adamantite	95	1,189	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt an adamantite ore with six (6) coal to make an adamantite bar.
70		Soft clay	5	174	Players can mine soft clay directly from soft clay rocks located in the mines of Prifddinas.
72		Salts	5	N/A	These salts are found in the Salt Mine after completing Making Friends with My Arm. Salts are used to teleport to the Troll Stronghold/Weiss, light fire pits, or set up a POH teleport to the Troll Stronghold.
85		Runite	125	11,430	Players can use the Smithing skill to smelt a runite ore with eight (8) coal to make a runite bar.
92		Amethyst	240	3,356	Players can use the Crafting and Fletching skills to create ranging ammunition from amethyst.

Gems

When mining, players have a 1/256 chance of mining an uncut gem in the rock instead of an ore; this neither depletes the ore nor grants mining experience. Gems that can be found in rocks are uncut sapphires, uncut emeralds, uncut rubies and uncut diamonds.

A player's chances of finding gems are increased to 1/86 when wearing a charged amulet of glory.

Geodes

Clue geodes are rare rocks that can be found when mining in place of receiving an ore. Searching them will give players a clue scroll of the same difficulty as the geode given.

Mines

Main article: Mines

Mines are areas where players can mine their ores. These may be on the surface or underground and are scattered around Gielinor. Some of these locations are accessible only after certain quests are complete and some are members-only.

Special mining areas

Mining Guild

Main article: Mining Guild

The Mining Guild is a special mining area within the dwarven mines, requiring level 60 Mining to enter (can be boosted). While accessible by Free-to-play players, an area of the mine is accessible solely by Members. There are numerous rocks in both sections, with especially large numbers of Coal rocks.

Within the members' area of the mining guild, players will receive an invisible +7 level boost to their Mining, and have a chance to receive unidentified minerals while mining, which can be traded in for various mining gloves. It also contains two Runite rocks and is the only place players can mine Amethyst. Players also have access to a Bank chest to deposit their ores quickly.

Motherlode Mine

Main article: Motherlode Mine

The Motherlode Mine, requiring level 30 Mining and found within the dwarven mines, allows players to instead mine Pay-dirt and deposit it into a dwarven machine. When withdrawn, the player receives various random ores attainable at their current mining level. This process also has a chance of rewarding Gold nuggets, used to purchase helpful mining-related items such as the Coal bag, Gem bag, and Prospector outfit, as well as Soft clay packs and Bags full of gems.

Blast mine

Main article: Blast mine

The Blast mine, requiring level 43 Mining and found within Lovakengj, allows players to collect Blasted ores through the use of Dynamite; the usage of which also rewards a small amount of Firemaking experience. Blasted ores are then deposited to obtain various random ores; the blast mine is unique as players can receive ores that have level requirements up to ten above their current level.

Coal Trucks

Main article: Coal Trucks

Tips

Power mining

Also known as drop mining, this is where a player fills their inventory with ores, drops them all, and repeats. While this method of mining allows players to raise their Mining level quickly, dropping a whole inventory of ores can take some time (although this can be minimised by making use of shift-click dropping). Also, by using this method, a player would be missing out on Smithing experience. Some locations useful for drop mining:

• Al Kharid mine - The scorpions can be aggressive at low combat levels.
• Dwarven Mine
• Bandit Camp Quarry - Players will be susceptible to damage from desert heat
• Mining Guild - The ores in the members-only section respawn twice as fast, allowing for non-stop iron mining.

Power-mining iron

There are currently nine mines in RuneScape where three iron rocks in a triangular formation can be mined without moving, thus ideal for power levelling. They are as followed:

• Al Kharid Mine
• Mining Guild
• Resource Area
• Legends' Guild mine
• Piscatoris mine
• Lovakengj mine
• Verdant Valley on Fossil Island
• Mount Karuulm mine
• Trahaearn mine

Mining gloves

Players can purchase two different types of Mining Gloves from the Mining Guild Mineral Exchange store in the Mining Guild. Each pair of gloves provide a chance of the rock not depleting, which is very beneficial for players powermining or mining higher tier ores.

The first pair, Mining gloves, provides a chance for extra ore from silver, coal, and gold. The second pair, Superior mining gloves, provide a chance for extra ore from mithril, adamantite, and runite. After purchasing both pairs of gloves, the player can combine the gloves to create Expert mining gloves by talking to Belona.

Reduce total weight

Players are recommended to wear few items or nothing at all other than their pickaxe. Members can wear the weight-reducing clothing. Wearing fewer items allows a player to run longer, as less energy is spent while running at lower weight values.

Switch worlds

For higher level rocks such as adamantite or runite, it is often faster to switch between worlds rather than waiting for the rocks to respawn. This is not recommended for lower level rocks as they respawn much faster.

Temporary boosts

Main article: Temporary skill boost

Boost		Level increase	Visibility	Other info
	Mining cape	1	Visible	Activating the cape's effect will increase the corresponding skill by 1.
	Spicy stew (brown spice)	±0-5	Visible	Depending on type of stew, any skill can be boosted or reduced by 0 to 5 levels randomly.
	Braindeath 'rum'	1	Visible	Decreases Defence by -10%, and Attack, Prayer, Ranged, Magic, Agility, and Herblore by -5%.
	Dwarven stout	1	Visible	Reduces Attack and Strength by 3. Is available to free players.
	Mature dwarven stout	2	Visible	Reduces Attack, Strength and Defence by 7.
	Dragon pickaxe	3	Visible	Uses 100% of Special attack bar. Requires 60 Attack to wield.
	Infernal pickaxe	3	Visible	Uses 100% of Special attack bar. Requires 60 Attack to wield. Requires 61 mining and 85 Smithing to create.
	3rd age pickaxe	3	Visible	Uses 100% of Special attack bar. Requires 65 Attack to wield.
	Crystal pickaxe	3	Visible	Uses 100% of Special attack bar. Requires 70 Attack and 50 Agility to wield. Requires 71 Mining to create.
	Mining Guild	7	Invisible	The boost takes effect while player is within the pay to play area of the Mining Guild.

Quests

Quests requiring Mining

Quest	Mining requirement	Other skill requirements
The Knight's Sword	10	-
In Aid of the Myreque	15	25 , 7
The Lost Tribe	17	13 , 13
Tears of Guthix	20	49 , 20
Darkness of Hallowvale	20	40 , 22 , 5 , 26 , 32 , 33
Elemental Workshop I	20	20 , 20
Spirits of the Elid	37	37 , 33 , 37
Between a Rock...	40	30 , 50
Family Crest	40	59 , 40 , 40
Watchtower	40	15 , 15 , 25 , 14
Heroes' Quest	50	55 , 53 , 53 , 25
Legends' Quest	52	50 , 50 , 45 , 56 , 42 , 50 , 50 , 50 , 50
Lunar Diplomacy	60	65 , 61 , 40 , 49 , 5 , 55
Dragon Slayer II	68	75 , 70 , 62 , 60 , 60 , 50 , 50
Song of the Elves	70	70 , 70 , 70 , 70 , 70 , 70 , 70
Making Friends with My Arm	72	35 , 66 , 68

Quests rewarding Mining experience

Main article: Quest experience rewards

Quest	Experience reward	Mining requirement	Other requirements
The Forsaken Tower	500	-	20% Lovakengj favour
Doric's Quest	1,300	-	-
Plague City	2,425	-	-
The Giant Dwarf	2,500	-	14 , 12 , 16 , 33
Heroes' Quest	2,575	50	55 , 53 , 53 , 25
Another Slice of H.A.M.	3,000	-	15 , 25
The Lost Tribe	3,000	17	13 , 13
Between a Rock...	5,000	40	30 , 50
Enakhra's Lament	7,000	45 -optional	50 , 45 , 43 , 39
Making Friends with My Arm	10,000	72	35 , 66 , 68
The Dig Site	15,300	-	10 , 10 , 25
Dragon Slayer II	18,000	68	200 , 75 , 70 , 62 , 60 , 60 , 50 , 50
Song of the Elves	20,000	70	70 , 70 , 70 , 70 , 70 , 70 , 70
Total	90,600

Skill choice

Upon completing any of the following quests, players may choose to allocate experience to Mining. These rewards usually come in the form of items, such as lamps or books, and are independent of any experience rewards directly received for completing the quest.

Quest	Experience reward	Skills available	Skill requirements
X Marks the Spot	300	Any	-
Client of Kourend	500 twice	Any	-
Fairytale II - Cure a Queen	2,500	Any skill above 30	49 , 57
A Tail of Two Cats	2,500 twice	Any skill above 30	-
The Great Brain Robbery	5,000	Any skill above 30	16 , 30 , 50
King's Ransom	5,000	Any skill above 50	65
Darkness of Hallowvale	2,000 three times	Any skill above 30	5 , 20 , 22 , 32 , 33 , 40
A Taste of Hope	2,500 three times	Any skill above 35	48 , 45 , 40 , 40 , 38
Architectural Alliance (miniquest)	10,000	Any skill above 40	-
Curse of the Empty Lord (miniquest)	10,000	Any skill above 50	Some players will need 31
One Small Favour	10,000 twice	Any skill above 30	36 , 25 , 18 , 30
Recipe for Disaster (The final battle)	20,000	Any skill above 50	175 , 48 , 50 , 53 , 53 , 25 , 59 , 40 , 50 , 40 , 40 , 10 , 10 , 36
Total	112,300

Changes

Date	Changes
5 March 2015 (update | poll)	You now have a 10% chance to mine 2 ores at once for the completion of Varrock Diaries: Ore up to coal while wearing Varrock armour 1. Ore up to mithril while wearing Varrock armour 2. Ore up to adamant while wearing Varrock armour 3. Ore up to runite while wearing Varrock armour 4.