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Metal Mine

In brief: “Metal Mine” — a building of the “Resources & Storage” category in Xterium, mines the resource metal, maximum level — 100, base production at level 1 — 20 units/hour.

(data current as of 2026-05-22, game version 2.12.7)

Metal is the fundamental resource that will be the foundation of your empire. Metal is used in the construction of buildings, ships, and defensive structures. As the mine′s output increases, its energy consumption grows. Since metal is the most common of all available resources, its value is considered the lowest for trade and exchange.

Group
Resources & Storage
Where built
Planet
Max level
100
What it gives
Metal mining
Energy
Requires energy
Metal Mine

Description

What it is and why you need it

Metal Mine — a building from the “Resources & Storage” category in Xterium. Produces the resource metal. Metal is the most demanded resource in the game: it is spent on constructing every building, producing ships and defensive structures, and most research.

When to build

Unlocks once the requirements listed below are met. At level 5 it unlocks Metal Storage — build it right away, otherwise production will hit the storage cap and stop.

How it scales with levels

Each level raises production by roughly 1.1×. Base production: at level 1 — 20/h, at level 10 — 330/h, at level 30 — 4 150/h, at level 50 — 20 000/h, at level 100 — 1 184 000/h. Energy consumption grows in parallel: by level 100 — 85 000 units.

What to watch out for

  • Energy. The building consumes energy. Without it the effect drops or stops entirely.
  • Storage. When “Metal Storage” is full, production stops too. Level up storage together with the mine.
  • Cost grows fast. Each next level is roughly 1,9× more expensive than the previous one — plan your budget ahead.

How much it mines

Production grows with each level. Here is how much the building yields per hour and how much energy it consumes at key levels:

Level 1
Metal 20/h
⚡ 1 of energy
Level 10
Metal 330/h
⚡ 25 of energy
Level 20
Metal 1 570/h
⚡ 135 of energy
Level 30
Metal 4 150/h
⚡ 525 of energy
Level 50
Metal 20 000/h
⚡ 5 850 of energy
Level 75
Metal 136 000/h
⚡ 25 200 of energy
Level 100
Metal 1 184 000/h
⚡ 85 000 of energy
Caution: without energy, production stops. If the planet lacks energy, output drops in proportion to the shortage. With each level energy consumption grows faster than production itself — keep an eye on the balance and cover the deficit in advance with a Power Plant or a Thermal Power Plant.
When the storage is full, production stops too. The produced resource has nowhere to go, and the mine halts until space frees up in storage. Upgrade Metal Storage together with the mine so capacity keeps up with production.
How final production is calculated

The numbers in the cards above are the base production on a server with multiplier 1, without bonuses and without planet anomalies. The final in-game value works out like this:

Total = base × server multiplier × (1 + planet bonuses in %) × (mine work percentage)

Where mine work percentage is a 0-100% slider (100% by default). If energy is short, the engine lowers this percentage by itself in proportion to the deficit.

For example: if the base production at level 30 equals X, and on the server the multiplier is 2 with a +30% metal-mining anomaly — the hourly total will be X × 2 × 1.3 × 1.0.

Build time depends on the level of the Robot Factory and the Nanite Factory, as well as any speed-ups applied. The higher these buildings, the faster.

Speeding up the build with DM: you can shorten the remaining build time for dark matter — the price depends on how much time is left. The less remaining, the cheaper.

Cost

Payback by level

How many hours of operation a building needs to pay back its construction. All resources (metal, crystal, deuterium) and production are reduced to a single equivalent at the rate: 1 crystal = 2 metal, 1 deuterium = 4 metal. The higher the level, the longer the payback, but the higher the production too.

tier 30 tier 50 tier 75 1 h 10 h 100 h 1K h 1 10 25 50 75 100 2d 22h 3d 13d 27d 76d

up to 24h up to 30 days over a month

Price growth multipliers by ranges: lvl 30–49 ×1.23 lvl 50–74 ×1.14 lvl 75–99 ×1.11 lvl 100+ ×1.14

Construction cost at key levels
Level Metal Metal Crystal Crystal Deuterium Deuterium Time
1 740 185 — 01:24
25 110K 27K — 03:25:00
50 5.0M 740K — 4d 15:37
75 52M 13M 2.5M 50d 22:13
100 1081M 319.5M 111M 939d 05:40

What it unlocks

At level 5 unlocks: Metal Storage

How to use

This mine is the backbone of your economy. Balance it with power plants and storages.

What improves production

Sources that boost this building. Open a source card to see the exact percentages and conditions.

Senators 1

The colony's permanent command staff. Each senator has a specialization and, once assigned, gives the colony a set of permanent bonuses that grow with their level.

  • Geologist Geologist — Senator for Economic Affairs.

Alliance Skills 2

Permanent alliance skills. Leveled up by the alliance using shared points and applied to all members.

Boosters 1

Temporary boosters from tournament and quest rewards. Give a percentage bonus to a building's effect for a limited time.

Research 1

The empire's permanent research. Leveled up in the Laboratory and Technopolis, giving a global bonus to production, construction, or combat.

  • Extraction of resources Mining technologies are constantly improving, making it possible to reduce production costs and increase productivity.

If something is missing — where to look

Contextual alternatives for specific problems. Each block is a separate problem and the buildings that solve it.

If there isn't enough metal
Logistics center — +% increase in metal production (on the Moon)
Production Fund — A universal bonus for all three mines

Also: The "Wealth of Ruins" booster from tournaments, the Senator (Geologist) specialization, and the "Surface Deposits" and "Thermal Rocks" anomalies.

If there isn't enough energy for mining
Solar Power plant — a primary energy source that does not require deuterium
Deuterium Power Plant — an additional source that consumes deuterium
Solar Satellite — Satellites in space, at no cost, are affected by temperature
When the storage becomes full
Metal Storage — Increase warehouse capacity—without it, production will come to a halt

What to build next

Development chain — what is worth building in parallel with or after this building.

Metal Storage — At Level 5, the mine unlocks the Storage—build it right away
Solar Power plant — alongside the mine to ensure there is enough energy
Production Fund — after the economy stabilizes, for the mining bonus
Logistics center — When the Lunar Base is released—for +% specifically for metal

How it differs from similar buildings

To choose what to upgrade — see how this building compares to the alternatives.

Crystal Mine

Crystals are needed for most research and advanced crafting—but in smaller quantities than metal.

Deuterium Refinery

Deuterium is the fleet's fuel; it was critical to produce it earlier, but in much smaller quantities.

Questions and answers

What is «Metal Mine» in Xterium?
“Metal Mine” — a building of the “Resources & Storage” category in Xterium, mines the resource metal, maximum level — 100, base production at level 1 — 20 units/hour.
At what level does the «Metal Mine» building unlock “Metal Storage”?
At level 5 «Metal Mine» unlocks access to the “Metal Storage” building.
What is the maximum level of the «Metal Mine» building?
Maximum level — 100.
How much does «Metal Mine» produce at level 100?
At level 100 «Metal Mine» gives 1 184 000 units per hour. At level 1 — 20/h, at 30 — 4 150/h, at 50 — 20 000/h. This is base production on a ×1 server, without anomaly bonuses or alliance upgrades.
How much energy does «Metal Mine» consume at level 100?
At level 100 «Metal Mine» consumes 85 000 energy units. At level 30 — 525, at 50 — 5 850. If energy is insufficient, production drops proportionally to the shortage. With each level, consumption grows faster than production itself.
What happens if “Metal Storage” fills up?
When storage is full, «Metal Mine» stops production — there is nowhere to put new resources. To avoid downtime, level up “Metal Storage” together with the mine.
What increases production for the «Metal Mine» building?
Permanent bonus sources: Geologist, Metal Mining, Mining Methods. Senator specialization, temporary boosters from special offers, and alliance upgrades also have an effect.
Data updated: 2026-05-22 · Game version: 2.12.7 · Section: Encyclopedia / Buildings

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