Estrella Resources Limited (ASX: ESR) has reported further drilling success at its Lautém Manganese Project in Timor-Leste, with all seven recent diamond drillholes intersecting significant manganese mineralisation at the Ira Miri prospect.
The standout results came from holes EMDD032 and EMDD033, which returned substantial intersections of high-grade manganese oxides.
EMDD033 cut 12.87 metres at 80% manganese oxides from 5.13 metres, while EMDD032 intersected 11.65 metres from 5.1 metres, including 8.3 metres grading 60% manganese oxides.
Additional intersections included 8.5 metres of 30% primary manganese oxides in chert from 8.3 metres in EMDD034; 5.74 metres from 7.86 metres, including 3.24 metres at 70% manganese oxides, in EMDD031; 5.9 metres from 12.5 metres, including 1.1 metres at 80% manganese oxides, in EMDD030; and 2.1 metres at 50% manganese oxides from 13.8 metres in EMDD029.
The mineralisation, which lies 65 metres northwest of the original discovery outcrop, remains open both to the northwest and southeast, with step-out drilling continuing.
Drill core samples have been collected, with assay results expected within six to eight weeks.
Managing Director Chris Daws said the results underlined Ira Miri’s potential significance as a new manganese province.
“The discovery of further extensive supergene manganese mineralisation at Ira Miri is a fantastic result for our team,” said Daws.
“Not only does this demonstrate that we are potentially working within an entirely new manganese province located in the virtually unexplored nation of Timor-Leste, it also gives greater confidence to our geological modelling.
“With every hole we are able to improve the predictive power of our geological interpretation, allowing Estrella to rapidly advance this exciting project.”
Daws said the Ira Miri discovery continued to show strong potential given its proximity to key infrastructure, with the project located less than 25 kilometres from the Port of Com, under two kilometres from a sealed road, and hosting near-surface high-grade manganese.
He added that the latest drilling had intersected thick zones of supergene manganese with excellent grades, reinforcing confidence in the project.
Daws also noted that alongside the accelerated manganese exploration efforts, Estrella was advancing its Werumata calcite project, where permitting was nearing completion ahead of works targeting an inferred resource of 500 million dry metric tonnes of contained limestone.
