Christopher Daws

Estrella Resources has received another fillip as it bids to inject new life into the historical Carr Boyd nickel-copper camp north of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia with a follow-up wide drill intersection of mineralised sulphides in the T5 discovery zone. The 12.25 metre zone of stringer and disseminated nickel-copper massive sulphides was intercepted below an earlier massive sulphide hit.

WA explorer, Estrella Resources says a further intersection of massive nickel-copper-iron sulphides from drilling in the T5 discovery area near the old Carr Boyd nickel mine north of Kalgoorlie has added to confidence in its geological modelling ahead of market reporting of assays. An incoming funding boost will put Estrella in a position to up the tempo again at its cornerstone project.

Estrella Resources has intercepted three zones of nickel-copper sulphides with a 60 metre step-out diamond drill hole below its T5 nickel-copper discovery near Kalgoorlie in WA. The company says each of the three zones contained thick widths of massive sulphides over the last 170m of the drill hole.

Estrella Resources has begun resource confirmation drilling at its Spargoville nickel project in Kambalda as it prepares to produce a definitive feasibility study of its 5A nickel mine resource. Drilling contractor Topdrive Drillers Australia has mobilised at the project, that Estrella acquired in late 2017 with planning ongoing for an open pit cutback at the site’s 5A nickel mine.

Estrella Resources says high-grade results from resource confirmation drilling at its Spargoville nickel project near Kambalda in WA highlight its best hope of transitioning to a producer in the near term . First assays from a hole drilled at the company’s 5A resource returned a 3.4m intersection recording 8.2 per cent nickel, 0.6 per cent copper, 0.2 per cent cobalt and 21.5 per cent sulphur from 65.16m.

Estrella Resources will turn its attention to upgrading its resource after the final chapter of resource drilling at its Spargoville nickel project near Kambalda in WA delivered a raft of solid intercepts. Assay results from two diamond holes sunk beneath the Spargoville 5A deposit include 2.76m at 3.58 per cent nickel from 71.46m and 2.2m going 3.17 per cent nickel from 61m.

Estrella Resources has declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 0.86 million tonnes at 0.66 per cent nickel and 0.42 per cent copper at its T5 deposit in the Goldfields region of WA. The company says the latest estimate underpins an updated JORC exploration target of five to seven million tonnes at 0.7 to 1.5 per cent nickel and 0.3 to 0.5 per cent copper for the basal contact at its wholly owned Carr Boyd nickel project 80km north-east of Kalgoorlie.

An "unsolicited" lithium review at Estrella Resources’ Carr Boyd nickel project near Kalgoorlie has spun out new and historical pegmatite potential – but the extent and lithium content is not yet known. The company says the approaches from a “leading global mining group” to evaluate the possibilities for LCT-type pegmatites at Carr Boyd has only reconfirmed its belief in what it believes the project may hold.

A world-first audio-frequency-magnetic survey flown by Estrella Resources over its flagship Carr Boyd nickel-copper project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia’s Goldfields region has zeroed-in on nickel-sulphide drill targets to 600m depth. The company says the helicopter-borne survey has given it a vastly better understanding of the project’s geology and includes “industry-leading vision” of its highly-prospective host rocks.

Estrella Resources has secured a prized position in what is emerging as a new mineral frontier after the Timor-Leste Government granted the company three highly-prospective new mining concessions. The acquisition of the concessions gives the company access to an area of 121.5 square kilometres in a region known to host more than 200 mineral occurrences including gold, copper, manganese, silver and chromite.

Estrella Resources has officially been granted exploration tenure of more than 500 square kilometres in Timor-Leste making history as one of the first companies to receive exploration rights in the country. The nation is looking to build its industry in this resource-rich part of the world and ASX-listed Estrella is the first through the gate.

Perth-based explorer Estrella Resources has uncovered another manganese prospect in Timor-Leste, with pXRF grades from float going as high as 27.9 per cent manganese. The company’s new Sauro prospect sits just 12km south-east of its Lalena prospect that just last week threw up pXRF results from grab samples going up to 57.2 per cent and 48.1 per cent manganese.

Estrella Resources’ trial of induced polarisation technology at its manganese project in Timor-Leste has proved highly responsive and will be a critical tool for identifying supergene mineralisation. The trial was designed to run a survey line across ground Estrella could see was likely to host supergene mineralisation and then, by pairing up the results with visual observations, confirm the exploration method as valid.