General Observations from the Drill Program MapThis map outlines...

General Observations from the Drill Program Map

This map outlines three key prospects:

• Ira Miri

• Sica

• Lalena

The yellow dots (presumably drill sites) show dense targeting, especially at Ira Miri, with more selective lines at Sica, and limited early work at Lalena. The terrain is clearly rugged but accessible via existing paths (red lines = tracks), which is vital for remote programs.

Why This Looks Highly Promising from a Manganese Geology Viewpoint

1. Linear Surface Mineralisation at Ira Miri

The drill targets at Ira Miri follow a linear pattern consistent with stratiform or fault-controlled manganese seams. This is exactly what you want to see — continuity along strike increases the chances of intercepting consistent mineralisation across holes.

• Geological interpretation:
  The dense grid pattern suggests strong surface mineralisation, now being followed up at depth, classic technique in successful DSO-style Mn projects.

• Real-world comparison:
  Similar surface-follow-up drilling was used at Bootu Creek (NT) and Groote Eylandt early on, surface sampling guided them to high-grade zones, later confirmed at depth.

2. Drill Target Spacing Is Development-Grade

This isn’t scout-style exploration. The density at Ira Miri and the clear trenching/grid work at Sica suggest grade definition-level spacing — possibly 50–100m between collars in places.

• This indicates confidence in the surface continuity and grade.

• If mineralisation is laterally consistent, this spacing could rapidly support a maiden JORC resource.

3. Early-Stage Multi-Target Pipeline

The map shows three clear prospects in a relatively tight footprint, connected by road access.
This is rare for manganese, which is often isolated and patchy.

• Sica shows significant trench-style alignment, which is promising for bulk tonnage potential.

• Lalena, though early, has high-value potential given its coastal proximity (logistics upside).

What’s Also Notable

• Near-surface orientation:
  Manganese mineralisation that’s been mapped at the surface and confirmed with geochemistry (as ESR has done) often indicates oxide-hosted Mn, which can be DSO (Direct Shipping Ore) grade if it is over 35% Mn—ESR has sampled up to 58.6% Mn.

• Transported detrital Mn:
  Sica has shown high-grade detrital manganese, similar to the PM1 and PM2 deposits at Pilbara Manganese, where transport-concentrated ore was mineable.
  Detritals at 40 %+ Mn are already DSO-worthy.

• Infrastructure:
  The blue lines (rivers) and proximity to the coast means bulk logistics via barge may be viable, just as it is for Groote Eylandt or Nsuta in Ghana. That’s a huge plus for any future low-cost Mn mine.

Final Geologist’s View (High-Level)

This looks like a textbook early-stage manganese success setup:

✅ Surface continuity
✅ High-grade samples
✅ Structured grid drilling
✅ Road access
✅ Multiple targets
✅ DSO-grade results
✅ Port/Shipping access

If even 30–40% of the planned 10,000m RC + 3,000m diamond program hits continuity and grade across just two of the three prospects, they could declare a maiden resource and move to scoping within 12–18 months — a very fast timeline in manganese terms.

This has similar early energy to OM Holdings' Bootu Creek in 2004–05 and Element 25’s Butcherbird when they began grid-drilling in earnest.


My Take!

ESR’s drill plan map and, from a manganese exploration standpoint, it’s one of the strongest setups I’ve seen at this stage. The dense drill targeting at Ira Miri follows a textbook linear manganese outcrop, likely a stratiform seam or fault-controlled system. This is exactly how Groote Eylandt and Bootu Creek began defining early DSO-style deposits. The grid pattern isn’t scout work, this looks like definition drilling, which tells me they’re already thinking resource.

Sica also shows strong trench-aligned targets, and what’s exciting is the high-grade detrital manganese they've identified there, comparable to what Pilbara Manganese exploited at PM1/PM2. Combined with coastal proximity and access tracks already in place, this has early signs of a project that could go from drilling to maiden resource very quickly if those grades hold up. If even half the planned 10,000m RC + 3,000m diamond delivers, this could be the start of a serious manganese story in Timor-Leste.
GO Estrella