Every time you enter a mining area, every time, a pirate will scan your ship for cargo. Pirates ignore limpets, the collected materials and data in your inventory as well as freshly mined and refined ores but if you carry ANY cargo inventory into a mining area you will be attacked (if you have no cargo, they leave you alone), so here is a tip:
Never, never, NEVER carry ANY cargo inventory into a mining area, or from one area to another (via SC). As I said, pirates ignore FRESHLY mined and refined ores but once you enter SC or logout, those ores become CARGO and are subject to piracy. Also, when full up on refined ores, your first stop should be a starport to sell your ores unless you want pirates trying to interdict you on every jump. Remember, those ores became CARGO the moment you entered SC. o7
Never, never, NEVER carry ANY cargo inventory into a mining area, or from one area to another (via SC). As I said, pirates ignore FRESHLY mined and refined ores but once you enter SC or logout, those ores become CARGO and are subject to piracy. Also, when full up on refined ores, your first stop should be a starport to sell your ores unless you want pirates trying to interdict you on every jump. Remember, those ores became CARGO the moment you entered SC. o7