The Vulcan Mining Institute was an organization that existed within Vulcan society. They were noted for mining the tectonically unstable region on Vulcan called Xir'tan where the seismic instability made it an area rich in minerals and other such resources. The Mining Institute often dispatched X-teams to tap the veins when they appeared in that region of the planet. (Last Unicorn RPG module: The Way of Kolinahr: The Vulcans)