Estrella to drill deeper into manganese-rich discovery in Timor-Leste

Estrella Resources has deployed the heavy-duty diamond rig to build on a recent high-grade massive manganese discovery at its Ira Miri prospect in Timor-Leste. 

The new rig has begun twinning the company’s first discovery hole, which previously intersected 6.45 metres of massive manganese oxides averaging 40.1 per cent manganese from just 1.35m depth.

The discovery hole ended early - in manganese-rich mineralisation - because of intermittent core recovery from the weaker drill mount. 

Estrella says it has uncovered further significant new supergene manganese outcrop at its Ira Miri project in Timor-Leste, about 350m north of its initial discovery hole. 

Management believes the outcrop is a direct continuation of the discovery. Visual estimates suggest it could comprise more than 90 per cent manganese oxide content. 

Coupled with the mobilisation of a powerful track-mounted diamond drill rig, Estrella is charging forward with the nation’s first modern minerals exploration program, cementing its first-mover advantage in the long-underexplored frontier.

When the diamond twin is complete, the company will venture north to the new outcrop.

Estrella says the new outcrop is mapped across an impressive 4.5-kilometre strike length and is hosted within the same Noni Formation. The company will rely on laboratory assays to confirm the mineralisation. The assays are en route to the lab and will provide critical data on grades and impurities essential for an economic valuation.

Estrella Resources managing director Chris Daws said: “This latest discovery of a large in-situ manganese outcrop at Ira Miri is another clear validation of the project’s potential, further supporting our geological model and confirming the extensive nature of supergene manganese mineralisation within the Noni Formation.”

Estrella says its ambitious frontier drilling campaign comprises an initial 3000m of diamond drilling and 10,000m of reverse circulation drilling to target its Ira Miri and Sica prospects. It has already contracted a second phase of 10,000m reverse circulation drilling, which will launch after a review of initial results. 

Over the next three weeks, Estrella will drill the initial discovery zone and the newly identified extension. Track and pad preparations for the reverse circulation drilling program are set to commence shortly, paving the way for kick-off in about seven weeks.

Estrella says cultural integration remains a cornerstone of its in-country progress. Local community members have been instrumental in hand-clearing drill lines, while track reinforcement ensures long-term access and erosion control at its projects. 

It says its collaborative approach is backed by the Timorese government and positions the company as a trusted operator in an emerging mining jurisdiction.

The Ira Miri project sits within Estrella’s 195-square-kilometre concession, held in a 70:30 joint venture with state-owned Murak Rai Timor. The project features multiple occurrences of high-purity limestone overburden to its manganese targets, potentially enabling efficient dual-commodity exploration and maximising the value of each drilling campaign.

With assays from the new outcrop pending and drilling intensifying, Estrella is set to present its early results at the International Manganese Institute’s conference in Tokyo this month. Estrella’s first-mover advantage looks to be a defining move as the scale of its discovery begins to spotlight Timor-Leste as a welcome global critical minerals frontier.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au