Estrella Digs Deeper: Ira Miri Extraction Ramps Up as Manganese Market Sample Nears
Estrella Resources (ASX: ESR) has kicked off 2026 with a flurry of activity at its Ira Miri manganese project in Timor-Leste, releasing a comprehensive update that signals its transition from exploration to early-stage production. In what could be a defining year for the junior explorer, the company is now extracting and stockpiling ore for a market sample of up to 30,000 tonnes, potentially setting the stage for Timor-Leste’s first minerals export under its newly adopted Mining Code.
A Horizon Intercepted and a Market Sample Assembled
The company confirmed that its excavation works have successfully intercepted the targeted manganese-bearing horizon, originally mapped via multiple drillholes across 2025. These results have now been physically validated in pit, with the geological model holding firm.
In addition, Estrella has identified further manganese mineralisation outside the original extraction zone, including thin layers of manganese oxides within overlying clay units. This mineralised red-brown clay—seen in multiple drillholes such as EMDD033 to EMDD039—is now being encountered in active excavation, as shown in imagery throughout the release.
Managing Director Chris Daws called the development “significant not just in terms of project development but also for the country of Timor-Leste,” noting that it may represent the nation’s first mineral export under its updated legislative framework.
Operational Ramp-Up Underway
Estrella isn’t wasting time. With favourable weather and an expanding fleet of equipment—including 12 dump trucks, five excavators and night-time lighting—production is scaling quickly. Two mine supervisors and a geological team have initiated grade control sampling to define a product specification sheet and extraction sequence.
The pithead Stage 1 stockpile area has begun receiving ore, initially sourced from intersections made by drillholes EMDD001 and EMDD002. The ore will be trucked approximately 17km to a barge loading facility near the decommissioned Lautem airstrip. The existing infrastructure includes limestone roads and anchoring points for offshore loading, as outlined in site diagrams and photos on pages 4 and 5 of the release.
Offtake Talks and Global Positioning
On the commercial front, Estrella has entered active negotiations with a range of potential international buyers. While no agreements have yet been announced, management has flagged that discussions are progressing and updates will follow as they crystallise.
Importantly, the company must still complete compliance testing under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code and finalise the transfer of its Timor-Leste concession into the joint venture vehicle Estrella Murak Rai Timor Lda. These administrative steps appear well-advanced.
Meanwhile, all limestone samples from the adjacent Werumata Limestone Project have been dispatched for laboratory analysis—a project that remains a secondary but parallel focus for the company.
Community and Safety – A Core Theme
Community engagement remains a high priority. Estrella continues to emphasise its “highly successful” stakeholder engagement program, supported by strong relationships with government officials, contractors, and local communities.
Notably, the company has reported zero lost-time injuries to date at Ira Miri, and has successfully implemented safety management and traffic control protocols at the site.
What Next?
Estrella’s immediate focus is clear:
Complete grade control and sampling to finalise its product specification sheet
Advance compliance for bulk transport and prepare port logistics
Progress offtake discussions toward binding sales contracts
Finalise JV structure and regulatory formalities
While early-stage and not without risk, Estrella’s Ira Miri project is beginning to exhibit the hallmarks of a tightly managed pathway to first revenues. If execution matches momentum, 2026 could see the company graduate from explorer to exporter.
Timor-Leste’s first mineral shipment under its new mining framework might just have Estrella’s name on the bill of lading.