Annoying remote miners

[Shadowstar]

My remote miners keep running out of supplies. For a while it was somewhat tedious trying to keep them supplied, then I realized that thier effect isn't reduced when they are out of supplies. The only difference is that now they interrupt my next/previous cycle. This wouldn't be so bad exept for the odd loading delay that happens whenever the screen switches to a different system. It's a minor inconvenience, but it got me to thinking: why do remote miners consume supplies if it has very little gameplay effect on them in the first place? Couldn't they just have thier supply use removed and say they can generate enough supplies to sustain themselves from the material they mine? It's a small thing, sure, but doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.