Where to Find Iron Ore in Dune Awakening
Whether you’re building advanced armor or powerful tools, Iron Ore is one of the most essential resources on Arrakis. Mastering where to find it, how to mine it, and how to turn it into Iron Ingots will set you up for long-term survival and success.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about Iron Ore. From finding deposits to crafting essential gear.
Before We Get Started
To gather and use Iron Ore, make sure you’ve met the following early-game requirements:
Unlock the Cutteray MK1 Tool
Required to mine Iron Ore veins.
Built a Small Ore Refinery
Used to convert raw Iron Ore into usable Iron Ingots.
How to Craft a Cutteray MK1 and Small Ore Refinery
Cutteray MK1
This basic mining laser is necessary to gather Iron, Copper, Granite and other solid resources such as Salvaged metal.
- Craft at: General Fabricator
- Materials Required:
- Copper Ingotx 6
- EMF Generatorx 4
Small Ore Refinery
Refines raw ores into metal ingots like Iron and Copper.
- Craft at: Base Building Menu > Structures
- Materials Required:
- Salvaged Metalx 90
Tip: Place your refinery near storage containers for efficient smelting runs.
Where to Find Iron Ore
To locate Iron Ore, head to one of the following hotspots:
- Vermillius Gap
Consistent and rich deposits near cliffs and rocky ledges. - North of the Western or Eastern Gap
Ideal for mining both Iron and Copper in one area—perfect for base setups.
Avoid sandy dunes—Iron Ore is only found in rugged, elevated, or mountainous terrain.
Tip: Use Survey Probes or your Cutteray MK1’s analysis mode to locate ore veins more effectively.
How to Mine Iron Ore
Once you’ve found a deposit, here’s how to mine efficiently:
- Equip the Cutteray MK1
Make sure it’s fully charged before heading out. - Use Analysis Mode
Activate it to reveal fracture lines on the ore.
Trace these weak points to speed up mining and increase yield. - Monitor the Worm Threat
Rocky areas reduce the threat, but always be cautious.
Use Thumpers to distract sandworms during extended mining operations.
How to Refine Iron Ore into Iron Ingots
Return to your base and use the Small Ore Refinery to smelt Iron Ore into Iron Ingots.
Refinement Recipe:
- Iron Ore x5
- Water x25 ml
- Time: 10 seconds
Later, improved refinery types will reduce the material cost and time per ingot. You will want to always gather iron as this will be needed later on to craft the next tier of items that use Steel.
With this guide, you now have everything you need to find, mine, refine, and use Iron Ore to your advantage in Dune: Awakening.
