DEEP SPACE PROSPECTING, OIL AND BULK-MINERAL MINING OPERATIONS
A merger of 21st century Earth’s major oil companies into a single megacorp, the Kelland Mining Company is the epitome of Big Oil in space. A major deep space mining consortium which makes use of large Deep Space Orbital Mining Vessels, transporting mined materials via drop shuttles, cargo lifters, and orbital tethers. Expanding to rare minerals in the 2140s, Kelland purchased many of Seegson’s defunct space station-colonies and transformed them into deep space mining platforms. Famous Kelland-built and/or operated stations include the DSMO Marion trimonite mining station orbiting LV-178, the refit Ariarcus Inc. oil refinery station at Kruger 60Am, and Weyland-Yutani’s DSMO Erebos 01 Plasma Trawling Platform in the 26 Draconis system. The Kelland Mining Company and Consortium also sponsors the Kelland Panhellanic Prospectors.
KELLAND’S PANHELLENIC PROSPECTORS
Backed by the Kelland Mining Company and Consortium, the Kelland Panhellanic Prospectors is a masonic-like organization of freelance wildcatters that can trace their origins back to self-made oil tycoon Daniel P.V. Kelland during the oil rush of the 19th century. Members of the Panhellanic Prospectors are often called free wildcatters.
Free wildcatters are looking for the next big Frontier find. They operate out of small freighters, scout ships, tractors, and mining equipment leased to them by Kelland. When a free wildcatter discovers a rich vein of ore or deposit of oil and signs the find over to the Kelland Mining Company and Consortium, they receive shares just as a colony’s wildcatters would. The benefit of being a free wildcatter is the ability to explore and move on as one sees fit. Under the consortium’s bylaws, Kelland has first right of refusal to any claim. If Kelland decides to pass, free wildcatters are able to sell their finds to other companies. All external deals are to be negotiated through Kelland itself—allowing the company to receive a portion of the profits even if they pass.
Working both sides of the fence, Kelland saw a substantial profit gain during the recent Oil Wars. Their manufactured supply and demand strategies have transformed them into one of Weyland-Yutani’s major colonial competitors.
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