Estrella Resources has launched LiDAR, drone magnetics and MobileMTd surveys across 3200ha of its Ira Miri and Werumata prospects in Timor-Leste to refine modelling of its manganese and limestone targets. The surveys will also improve targeting accuracy, with results expected to guide ongoing drilling at Ira Miri and imminent resource-definition drilling at Werumata to support a JORC-compliant limestone resource by November.
Estrella Resources has initiated a comprehensive survey program across its Timor-Leste concessions, targeting its highly prospective manganese and limestone deposits in the Lautém Municipality.
The program, covering 3,200 hectares, aims to refine geological models and enhance drill targeting for the Ira Miri manganese and Werumata limestone prospects, with Estrella seeking to capitalise on the region’s vast and untapped mineral wealth.
The company, a first-mover in Timor-Leste’s nascent mining sector, is employing sophisticated and advanced geophysical techniques to unlock the potential of these dual-commodity assets which, importantly are strategically close to coastal infrastructure.
The survey will kick off with a drone-based LiDAR assessment at Werumata, covering 1700 hectares over 15 days, including three days to establish control points and 12 days of 100m-spaced flight lines at 80m altitude.
Conducted by TimorRai Exploration Services Lda and Enmintech, the LiDAR survey will map subtle surface features such as ridges and outcrops.
This is a critical step towards accurately defining the overlying high-purity limestone sheet as well as meeting JORC compliance for any anticipated resource which the company has suggested could be defined before the end of the year.
The development follows a recent agreement with PT Raka Energi Mandiri (REM) which extended milestone timelines to March next year for mining permits and to the following June for export infrastructure, demonstrating a measure of confidence in the project’s progress despite what appears to be some ambitious deadlines.
After Werumata, the survey team will relocate to Ira Miri for a 1500-hectare LiDAR survey to detect topographical lows and historical structures, expected to enhance the company’s predictive modelling for secondary supergene manganese deposits.
These deposits are accumulated in thick creek layers and have already shown high-grade potential with previous assays at Ira Miri reaching up to 58.6 per cent manganese.
Estrella Resources managing director Chris Daws said: "This latest campaign, which incorporates LiDAR, drone-based magnetics and MobileMT technologies is expected to generate a step-change in our geological modelling and will also feed in data for better targeting during our ongoing drilling. Estrella possesses a large concession in the virtually unexplored region of Timor-Leste, so these survey techniques – which rely upon drone-mounted technologies – promise to be highly cost-effective."
The company then plans to follow its LiDAR work with a drone-based magnetics survey to map the geological contacts and structures.
The final phase of the survey will involve a MobileMTd survey by Expert Geophysics, using drone-mounted equipment to measure electromagnetic resistivity and assess the depth and extent of conductive manganese zones.
By combining all these datasets with existing induced polarisation (IP) surveys, surface prospecting and drilling results, Estrella has adopted a high-tech route towards its goal of pinpointing high-priority drill targets.
The surveys are timely, with Estrella already drilling at Ira Miri, where a maiden campaign intersected 6.45m of massive manganese oxides at shallow depths, marking Timor-Leste’s first modern metallic minerals exploration.
The company is also preparing for resource-definition drilling at Werumata, supported by a recent $5 million investment from MJ Ratta Investments to bolster its exploration efforts.
The limestone that sits atop Estrella’s manganese targets offers dual-resource efficiency, with its high-purity calcite ideal for cement, glass, agriculture, and environmental remediation in Indonesia’s nickel industry.
That industry saw export value of US$6.82 billion in 2023, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade and is projected to grow significantly through 2030, per various industry analysts and government forecasts and potentially could attain Indonesia’s target of US$50 billion in annual nickel-related exports by 2045, driven by an aggressive shift from raw material exports to higher value-added processing industries.
That target was conveyed by Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Chairman of Indonesia’s National Economic Council (DEN), during his remarks at the International Conference on Infrastructure (ICI) 2025 in Jakarta in early June.
He added that, with downstream industries in place, Indonesia reached around US$34–35 billion in exports and believed that by 2045, the nation could achieve US$50 billion, just from nickel.
Estrella’s exploration work in Timor-Leste has included significant local engagement including via its partnership with state-owned Murak Rai Timor – which holds a 30 per cent JV stake - and community engagement.
The company employs local workers and engages students from the National University of Timor-Leste in geophysical trials, underscoring the company’s commitment to local and responsible social development.
The company’s first-mover advantage in a virtually unexplored region, coupled with robust infrastructure and a binding offtake agreement with REM for up to 500 million tonnes of limestone over five years, positions Estrella for significant growth.
Estrella’s large-scale survey program marks a pivotal step in unlocking Timor-Leste’s mineral potential, with advanced geophysical tools set to refine its manganese and limestone prospects.
The hoped-for survey outcomes could prove transformational for Estrella, positioning it for drilling success that could set the company on the path to becoming a key player in Southeast Asia’s booming minerals market.
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