Estrella Resources Ltd (ASX:ESR) has started market sample extraction activities at its Ira Miri manganese project in Timor-Leste, aiming to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of manganese ore for market appraisal.
The bulk sample is intended to support sale, export and testing with prospective long-term offtake partners, and is expected to strengthen engagement with multiple international counterparties on the back of Ira Miri’s “high-grade, low-impurity ore”.
The sample is anticipated to represent one of Timor-Leste’s first-ever economic mineral bulk extraction sunder the country’s modern Mining Code, describing the work as strategically important as it provides material for sale, export and evaluation by potential offtake partners.
“Estrella continues to lead the way in the virtually unexplored region of Timor-Leste and I am thrilled to see the diggers lining up at the high-grade and highly prospective Ira Miri Manganese project. Through this market sample, the Company will have the ability to sell and export up to 30,000 tonnes of ore. This step is crucially important as it enables stronger relationships with potential export partners, it will generate extremely valuable geological data and is also a source of royalties for Estrella as well as the Government of Timor-Leste," managing director Chris Daws said.
Estrella Resources location of Ira Miri manganese prospects and beach port in Timor-Leste.
Local contractor fleet mobilised; first ore exposure expected “within the coming days”
Estrella said extraction is being delivered by an entirely local Timor-Leste-based contractor operating a “sizable fleet” including three production excavators, a loader, backhoe, ancillary excavator, two bulldozers and 12 local community dump trucks fitted with mud chains for wet-season operations.
Excavation teams mobilised to Ira Miri.
Operations are progressing from multiple bench levels to accelerate pit development, with excavation advancing toward the manganese-bearing horizon and first ore exposure anticipated within the coming days. Estrella said its geological and engineering teams are closely supervising activities and maintaining metallurgical, quality and commercial assessments of the ore, supported by full-time external surveyors.
Mining is initially running on a 12-hour day-shift basis, with a night shift expected to start within the next seven days.
Initial pit plan targets previously intersected high-grade mineralisation
The company is initially focused on a well-defined pit designed to excavate intersected mineralisation previously reported, including very high grades such as EMDD002: 8.05m @ 53% Mn and thicker intervals such as EMDD033: 11.97m @ 28.9% Mn.
The planned pit is expected to reach a maximum depth of about 15 metres with total excavation of about 85,000 cubic metres. Estrella said topsoil will be stored separately for rehabilitation and later reused following completion of test pit activities, while overburden will be stored in a benched external stockpile.
Haulage and export logistics outlined via Lautem airstrip barge landing
Estrella said stockpiled material will be transported about 17 kilometres from the Stage 1 pit head stockpile to the former Lautem airstrip and a decommissioned fish-processing facility that hosts an existing barge landing site, referred to as the LCT port site.
Material is planned to be loaded onto a barge and shipped offshore for on-loading into a bulk carrier.
Next steps: concession transfer, product spec sheet, buyer engagement
Next steps outlined by Estrella include transferring the MEL-CA_ZA001 concession into the Estrella Murak Rai Timor Lda incorporated JV company, sampling and assaying “as mined” ore to generate a marketing “Product Specification Sheet”, and engaging prospective buyers for sale and export.