• Background

• Estrella Resources (Lautem, Baucau)

• Peak Everest Mining (Oecusse, Lautem)

• Beacon Minerals (Baucau, Viqueque)

• Iron Fortune (Baucau, Manatuto, Oecusse)

• Murak Rai Timor (Bobonaro, Covalima, Liquica, Lautem)

• Taishengts Timor (Baucau)

• Singapore Infrastructure Investment and Construction - SIIC (Lautem)

• Nova Energy Resources (Manatuto)

• Tivan (Manufahi)

• Documents

• Introdusaun

• Estrella Resources (Lautem, Baucau)

• Peak Everest Mining (Oecusse, Lautem)

• Beacon Minerals (Baucau, Viqueque)

• Iron Fortune (Baucau, Manatuto, Oecusse)

• Murak Rai Timor (Bobonaro, Covalima, Liquica, Lautem)

• Taishengts Timor (Baucau)

• Singapore Infrastructure Investment and Construction - SIIC (Lautem)

• Nova Energy Resources (Manatuto)

• Tivan (Manufahi)

• Dokumentu sira

Background

Experience shows that effective regulation is essential (although not always sufficient) to reduce damage and protect people's rights. Given the intrinsic non-sustainability of mining activities (which use up non-renewable mineral resources in order to provide cash), it is always challenging to minimize their negative impacts.

Timor-Leste began consulting on legislation to regulate mining in 2013. After many delays, Law no 12/2021 of 30 June (Port. original) was enacted, taking effect at the end of 2021. Details of this process are on a separate web page.

In March 2023, Timor-Leste launched its first licensing round for mineral exploration, offering 49 concession areas totalling more than 2,000 square kilometers, with a map and description of the mineral potential of each of seven zones.

In September, the new IX Constitutional Government enacted six decree-laws for the extractive sector, including creation of a National Mining Authority (ANM), separating these responsibilities from the former ANPM, and re-defining the state-owned mining company as Murak Rai Timor, E.P. ANM launched its website in January 2025.

Nine companies passed the eligibility screening, and four received contracts (official dispatches) in November 2023, as detailed below. The following week, the three Australian companies who received concessions "worked to build trust."

Esperiénsia hatudu katak regulamentu ne'ebé efetivu mak esensiál (maske la sufisiente) atu hamenus estragu no proteje ema nia direitu. Haree ba atividade minerais ne'ebé la sustentavel (ne’ebé uza rekursu minerais ne'ebé la renovavel atu fornese osan), sempre dezafiu atu minimiza sira-nia impaktu negativu.

Timor-Leste hahú konsultasaun kona-ba lejizlasaun atu regula minerais iha 2013. Hafoin atrazu barak, Lei n^o 12/2021 30 Juñu (Port.) aprova tiha ona, ne'ebé sei vigora iha tinan 2021 nia rohan. Detallu kona-ba prosesu ne'e iha pájina web ketak ida.

Iha fulan Marsu tinan 2023, Timor-Leste lansa ona ninia lisensiamentu ba dahuluk ba esplorasaun minerál, oferese área konsesaun hamutuk 49 liu kilómetru kuadradu 2,000, ho mapa no deskrisaun kona-ba potensialidade minerál husi kada zona hitu.

Iha fulan Setembru, Governu Konstituisionál foun IX aprova dekretu-lei neen ba setór estrativa, inklui kriasaun Autoridade Nasional Minériu (ANM), haketak responsabilidade hirak-ne'e husi ANPM ida uluk, no defini fila-fali kompañia minerais estadu nian hanesan Murak Rai Timor, E.P. ANM lansa nia website iha fulan Janeiru 2025.

Kompañia sia pasa ona ezaminasaun elijibilidade, no haat hetan ona kontratu (despaxu ofisiál) iha Novembru 2023, hanesan detalladu iha kraik. Semana tuirmai, kompañia tolu husi Australia ne'ebé simu konsesaun "halo servisu atu hametin konfiansa."

During 2024, ANM issued 30 environmental licenses, all for category C projects:

Name of License	License No.
Reconnaissance
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 001/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 002/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 003/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 004/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 005/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 006/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 007/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 008/LA/2024
Murak Rai Timor E.P	No. 022/LA/2024
Murak Rai Timor E.P	No. 023/LA/2024
Murak Rai Timor E.P	No. 024/LA/2024
Murak Rai Timor E.P	No. 025/LA/2024
Elegant Marble Group, Unip. Lda	No. 030/LA/2024
Exploration and Evaluation
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 009/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P	No. 010/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited R.P.	No. 011/LA/2024
Peak Everest Mining.Lda.	No. 012/LA/2024
Beacon Minerals. Ltd.	No. 013/LA/2024
Beacon Minerals. Ltd.	No. 014/LA/2024
Beacon Minerals. Ltd.	No. 015/LA/2024
Beacon Minerals. Ltd.	No. 016/LA/2024
Beacon Minerals. Ltd.	No. 017/LA/2024
Beacon Minerals. Ltd.	No. 018/LA/2024
Iron Fortune Limited. R.P	No. 019/LA/2024
Iron Fortune Limited. R.P	No. 020/LA/2024
Iron Fortune Limited. R.P	No. 021/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited,R.P	No. 026/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited,R.P	No. 027/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited,R.P	No. 028/LA/2024
Estrella Resources Limited,R.P	No. 029/LA/2024

Durante 2024, ANM fó sai lisensa ambientál 30 ba kategoria projetu C mak hanesan iha tabela sorin.

In March 2025, ANM hosted events in Lautem, Baucau, Manututo and Manufahi to issue eleven new Mineral Exploration and Evaluation licenses to Taishengts Timor, SIIC Unipessoal, Nova Energy Resources, and Tivan. The Australian Financial Review is relieved that "most new mining licenses" have been awarded to Australian companies, and not Chinese ones.

Portugal's National Energy and Geology Laboratory (LNEG) is cooperating in the minerals research, including in Oecusse.

Additional information about mining activities through 2022 is in Timor-Leste's reports to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), available here.

Iha Marsu 2025, ANM organiza eventu iha Lautem, Baucau, Manututo no Manufahi atu realiza peskiza mineiru no avaliasaun ba lisensiamentu sira ba Taishengts Timor, SIIC Unipessoal, Nova Energy Resources, no Tivan. Jórnal Australian Financial Review kontente katak kompañia sira husi Austrália, la'ós Xina, hetan maioria lisensa sira.

Laboratoriu Nasionál Energia no Geologia (LNEG) Portugál nian koopera mós iha peskiza mineiru, inklui Oecusse.

Bele hetan informasaun tan kona-ba atividade mineiria até 2022 husi relatóriu sira husi Timor-Leste ba Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI/ITIE), iha ne'e.

Estrella Resources (Lautem, Baucau)

(Blue areas in map at right)

In March 2024, the Government officially awarded three licences to Estrella Resources, an Australian company, to explore for minerals in more than 500 km² in Lautem municipality. A week later, the company said it had found manganese, which it reiterated repeatedly in paid newspaper articles over the following months.

On 27 June, Estrella and Murak Rai Timor, E.P. created a joint company, with 70% belonging to Estrella and 30% to MRT. Estrella's 2024 Annual Report discusses events through the end of June.

In September 2024, Estrella Resources took over four areas in Baucau Municipality, totalling 194 km², from other companies. At a ceremonial event in Laga, ANM showed this presentation (Tetum).

In October, Estrella gave a presentation to potential investors and issued a report on its activities during the third quarter of 2024. They gave another presentation and published an article in November, and later published a report on 4q2024 activities.

In January 2025, they announced (also video) that they had secured more than $3 million to fund their drilling program.

In February, Estrella announced a new manganese discovery in Lautem.

Estrella Resources (Lautem, Baucau)

(Area azúl iha mapa iha liman karuk)

Iha fulan Marsu 2024, Governu ofisiálmente fó lisensa tolu ba Estrella Resources, kompañia Australianu nian, atu fura minerál sira iha munisípiu Lautem liu 500 km². Semana ida liu tiha, kompañia ne'e dehan katak nia hetan manganés, ne'ebé nia repete iha jornál ne'ebé selu iha fulan hirak tuir mai.

Iha 27 Juñu, Estrella no Murak Rai Timor, E.P. (MRT) kria kompañia konjunta ida, ho 70% pertense ba Estrella no 30% ba MRT. Estrella nia Relatóriu Anuál 2024 kobra atividade até loron 30 Juñu.

Iha fulan Setembru 2024, Estrella Resources foti área haat iha Munisipiu Baucau, hamutuk 194 km², husi kompañia sira seluk. Iha serimónia ida iha Laga, ANM hatudu aprezentasaun ida-ne’e. 

Iha fulan Outubru, Estrella halo aprezentasaun ba investidór potensiál sira no fó sai relatóriu ida kona-ba nia atividade sira durante trimestre terseiru tinan 2024. Sira iha aprezentasaun seluk no publika artigu ida iha Novembru, hafoin públika relatóriu ba atividade sira iha trimestral dahaat tinan 2024.

Iha Janeiru 2025, sira anunsia (iha mós video) katak sira konsege asegura liu milliaun $3 ba sira nia programa perfurasaun.

Iha Fevereiru, Kompañia Estrella anunsia katak sira konsege hetan manganés iha Lautém.

Iron Fortune (Baucau, Manatuto, Oecusse)

Murak Rai Timor (Bobonaro, Covalima, Liquica, Lautem)

The state-owned company Murak Rai Timor, E.P. (MRT) was re-created by Decree-Law 64/2023 of 6 September, and its new head José Manuel Gonçalves announced its plans.

In May 2024, the ANP licensed MRT to explore for metallic minerals in Bobonaro, Covalima and Liquica. 

On 27 June 2024, Estrella Resources and MRT created a joint company to explore in Lautem, with 70% belonging to Estrella and 30% to MRT.

Taishengts Timor (Baucau)

In February 2025, MPRM licenced Taishengts Timor, Lda. to explore for minerals in area MEL2025-DA-IM-001 in Tirilolo, Baucau.

Taishengts Timor (Baucau)

Iha Fevereiru 2025, MPRM fó lisensa ba Taishengts Timor, Lda. atu halo peskiza minerais iha area MEL2025-DA-IM-001 iha Tirilolo, munisipiu Baucau.

Singapore Infrastructure Investment and Construction - SIIC (Lautem)

In February 2025, MPRM licenced Singapore Infrastructure Investment and Construction, Unipessoal, Lda. to explore for non-metallic minerals in area MEL2025-DA-IM-002, covering five sucos in Lautem.

Singapore Infrastructure Investment and Construction - SIIC (Lautem)

Iha Fevereiru 2025, MPRM fó lisensa ba SIIC, Unipessoal, Lda. atu halo peskiza minerais iha area MEL2025-DA-IM-002 iha suku lima iha munisipiu Lautem.

Nova Energy Resources (Manatuto)

In February 2025, MPRM licenced the Singaporean company Nova Energy Resources Pte., Ltd. to explore for minerals, including chromium and marble, in areas MEL2025-DA-ZC-001 and MEL2025-DA-ZB-005 in Sucos Sau and Iliheu in Manatuto Vila Administrative Post and suco Uma Kaduak in Laclo Administrative Post.

Nova Energy Resources (Manatuto)

Iha Fevereiru 2025, MPRM fó lisensa ba Nova Energy Resources Pte., Ltd. atu halo peskiza minerais iha area MEL2025-DA-ZC-001 no MEL2025-DA-ZB-005 iha Suku Sau no Iliheu husi Postu Administrativu Manatuto Vila no Uma Kaduak husi Postu Administrativu Laclo.

Tivan (Manufahi)

In February 2025, MPRM licenced Tivan Ltd. to explore for copper and gold in areas MEL2025-DA-ZC002, MEL2025-DA-ZC003, MEL2025-DA-ZC004, MEL2025-DA-ZC005, MEL2025-DA-ZC006, MEL2025-DA-ZC007 and MEL2025-DA-ZC008 in Turiskai, Manufahi.

This is Tivan's first project outside Australia, as they announced to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), summarized in the business press.

Tivan (Manufahi)

Iha Fevereiru 2025, MPRM fó lisensa ba Tivan Ltd. atu halo peskiza ba riti no osan-mean iha area balu:  MEL2025-DA-ZC002, MEL2025-DA-ZC003, MEL2025-DA-ZC004, MEL2025-DA-ZC005, MEL2025-DA-ZC006, MEL2025-DA-ZC007 no MEL2025-DA-ZC008 iha Turiskai, Manufahi.

Projetu ne'e primeira atividade husi Tivan li’ur Australia, hanesan nia fó sai  iha announcement ba reguladór ekuidade sira iha Australia (ASX).

Documents (reverse chronological order)

• MPRM Dispatches 17-27/2025 (Port.) awarding mining licenses, 28 Feb 2025

• MPRM Dispatches 43-46/2023 (Port.) awarding mining licenses, 1 Dec 2023

• Decree-Laws 59-64 (Port.), 6 Sep 2023

• Law no 12/2021 (Eng.), 30 June 2021 

Dokumentu sira

• MPRM Despacho sira 17-27/2025 (Port.) fo lisensa mineira sira, 28 Fev 2025

• MPRM Despacho sira 43-46/2023 (Port.) fo lisensa mineira sira, 1 Dez 2023

• Dekretu-Lei sira 59-64 (Port.), 6 Set 2023

• Lei no 12/2021 (Port.), 30 Junu 2021