How do you get 99 in OSRS Mining? You rock it!
OSRS Mining is one of OSRS gathering skills; this means you are out collecting resources, mainly ores. These ores can usually be sold on the Grand Exchange - and because you paid nothing for them, you’ll make a nice profit!
In this OSRS Mining guide, we present a few different methods for leveling your Mining skill, including the fastest, most AFK-able, and some profitable techniques.
OSRS Mining guide (1-99) - Members Guide
Useful equipment for Mining OSRS:
Dragon Pickaxe special attack
- - useable at any mining level
- - requires 60 attack
- - gives a +3 OSRS Mining level boost
Prospector armour set
- - +2.5% experience for complete set
- - obtainable from Motherlode Mine for 180 golden nuggets
Varrock Armour
- - chance at mining two ores
- - better chances/ ores for higher diaries completed
Mining Gloves (regular, superior and expert)
- - a chance for the rock to not deplete when mined
- - always use the highest level gloves possible
Level 1-32: Questing
We start our journey by completing some quests, mostly because the time to gain mining experience at lower levels is prolonged. Completing the two quests below will level you straight to level 32, therefore skipping a lot of these slow methods of mining.
Quest: Doric’s Quest
- Starting location: North of Falador, speak to Doric
- Requirements: none
- Rewards:
Before starting Doric’s Quest, we suggest you collect a few materials used during the quest; this will save you a little time while completing it:
- Six clay (not soft clay)
- 4 Copper ore
- 2 Iron ore
Quest: The Digsite
- Starting location: Talk to an Examiner in the Exam Hall south of the dig site.
- Requirements: 10 Agility, 10 Herblore, 25 Thieving
- Rewards:
The Digsite is a slightly longer quest, with a few low-level requirements, but the amount of time it saves on mining at low levels, with little reward, is invaluable.
Level 15-75: Mining Iron Ore in 3 rock areas
- 25000 to 75000 XP per hour, dependent upon your level
- Locations: Legend’s guild, Mining Guild, Lovakengj Mine, Piscatoris Mine, Al Kharid Mine, Fossil Island, Resource Area (Level 51 Wilderness)
- Ores needed to mine: 34215
- about 35 hours
Mining Iron Ore is one of the fastest methods of getting your OSRS Mining level up. You should always ensure you’re wearing your Varrock Armour, the highest level Mining Gloves and using the Dragon Pickaxe special ability where possible, to increase your experience per hour further.
We suggest dropping all ore which you are mining if you are aiming to level up as quickly as possible. While this does mean you are not going to be making any OSRS gold, the time which you save now could be later invested into quicker, more profitable methods, as described below.
We also prefer to use the three rock area in the Mining Guild as soon as you hit level 60 Mining. This is because just being in the Mining Guild provides a hidden +7 Mining Levels, allowing you to work even faster!
Level 75-99: 3-Tick Granite Quarry
- 75000 to 120000 XP per hour, depending on the level
- Location: Desert Quarry
- Ores needed to mine: 200000
- about 160 hours
3-Tick Granite Mining provides the fastest Mining experience rates available to OSRS. It does, unfortunately, come with one major setback - it is incredibly clicking intensive. At lower levels, you can expect around 75k XP/hr, but as your level increases, so does the amount of experience you gain. At about level 88, you should expect to be gaining around 100k XP/hr.
AFK-able methods
- Level 1-15: Mining Rune Essence
- 5000 xp per hour
Mining Rune Essence requires completion of the Quest: Rune Mysteries. This low-level method provides an easy way into the Runecrafting skill and some very AFK-able experience.
It isn’t recommended for higher levels due to the low experience rates, but as a beginner, it is as simple as clicking once, then waiting 5 minutes for your inventory to fill up!
- Level 30-99: Motherlode Mine
- 20000 to 50000 XP per hour
- Location: Dwarven Mines, next to the Mining Guild
Mining in the Motherload Mine is a popular way to get to level 99 Mining since it’s so relaxed, and you don’t need to worry about much. The experience rates here at Motherload Mine are much slower than the previous 3-Tick Granite Mining method. You can expect XP rates of around 20000 XP/hr, increasing to 50000 XP/hr at much higher levels.
At level 72, you can pay 100 Golden Nuggets to unlock the upper level of the Motherload Mine, this is worth saving up for, as the methods of mining here become even more AFK-able than before.
Again, remember to equip all of your boostable items, including Varrock Armour and any of the Prospector Armour, set as you unlock them.
- Level 70-99: Volcanic Mine
- 60000 to 90000 XP per hour
- Requirements: 150 Kudos at the Varrock Museum
This is a method that a lot of players choose to do, as it’s a lot more enjoyable than the 3-Tick Granite Mining and gives the second-best experience rates in the game. While this method can be unlocked from level 50, it’s recommended to start at around level 70, due to the lower experience rates at lower levels.
The Volcanic Mine is a team effort for increased experience per hour. With a decent team, you can achieve around 90000 XP per hour. Some players even use alternate accounts to help boost the experience rates to over 100,000 XP per hour!
Be sure to equip any gear you own which provides a healing boost, or take plenty of food with you. Initially, the minigame here can deal quite a fair amount of damage if you are unsure of what you are doing. We strongly suggest checking out a guide to the Volcanic Mine before you attempt this method!
Profitable OSRS Mining methods
Level 40-75: Mining Gem Rocks
- 50000 xp per hour
- about 300-600k gold per hour
- total gems needed for leveling is around 14000
- total profit is around 22 million gold
Red Topaz gems are the ones you’re looking for, your real money jackpot! These rocks don’t provide the common ores, but instead, shower your player with some shiny gems. These can all be sold on the Grand Exchange for a very taste profit.
You’ll need to have completed the Quest: Shilo Village before you can access these gem rocks, but they are in the perfect location, about a 20 second run from the closest bank.
While training here, you should always ensure you have an Amulet of glory equipped, as this increases your chance of receiving a gem from any rock which you mine!
Levels 75-99: Blast Mine
- 50000 to 70000 XP per hour
- requirements: 100% favor with Lovakengj House in Zeah
- about 400k gold per hour
- total profit is around 120 million gold
The beauty of Blast Mine is that you can access and gather ore, which is usually only available to you at an OSRS Mining level of 10 higher than you currently are. This means that at level 75, you can access and gather Runite Ore.
Before this level, because you wouldn’t have access to Runite Ore, the Blast Mine isn’t a very profitable method, both in terms of experience and gold per hour. That means that until you hit level 75, you really shouldn’t worry yourself with it.
Level 85-99: Mining Runite Ore
- 5000-15000 XP per hour
- Location of Runite Rocks: Heroes’ Guild, Mining Guild, Myths’ Guild, Mor Ul Rek, Wilderness
- about 400k gold per hour
- total profit of about 900 million gold
Okay, so you noticed too? Those experience rates SUCK. For a high-level ore, why is it so bad?
Well. Honestly, it’s because this method of mining Runite Ore absolutely ‘ROCKS’ (see what we did there?) in terms of profit. You can expect to earn about 900 million gold going from level 85 to level 99 if all you do is mine Runite Ore.
Level 92-99: Mining Amethyst Crystals
- 20000 XP per hour
- Location: Mining Guild
- 300k gold per hour
- total profit of around 100 million gold
Although these Crystals are located in the Mining Guild, the +7 boost typically awarded here does not apply to these Amethyst Crystals. However, the Dragon Pickaxe special attack does apply to ‘mining’ them.
