The engineering teams had spent a considerable amount of time trying to solve the problem of the subterranean cave networks, but they had yet to find a viable solution.
Given the current geological instability, even if rich mineral deposits were located near the surface, the mining crews were hesitant to break ground because of the massive voids below. If a catastrophic collapse occurred during excavation, an entire mining outpost could be swallowed, resulting in a massive loss of life and heavy machinery.
With current Federation technology, it was technically possible to fight against nature by aggressively reinforcing the bedrock while simultaneously mining. However, the economic cost of such an operation was astronomical, and the return on investment simply wasn't worth the risk.
Therefore, the general consensus among the geologists was to relocate the primary mining operations to the Arctic Circle.
