Inca Minerals has lodged applications for three Exploration Licences (EL) in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor), which provide Inca with battery metal opportunities as well as precious/base metals and food-related commodities.

ABOVE LEFT: Manatuto Project EL location plan. ABOVE RIGHT: Ossu Project EL location plan.

Inca is the first mineral exploration company to apply for mineral exploration projects in East Timor.

“We have a genuine first-mover advantage in East Timor and will leverage this to launch a campaign which explores some of the country’s best-known mineral occurrences” says Inca’s Managing Director, Mr Ross Brown.

Inca’s assessment of the region and potential project areas commenced in May 2018 and included due diligence, detailed research and a number of field trips to East Timor. Benefiting from first-mover advantage and the assistance of key stakeholders, the process has now resulted in Inca generating the Manatuto Ni-Co-Cr Project, the Ossu Co-Au-Ag-Cu Project and the Paatal V-P2O5 Project.

Manatuto
The Manatuto project area under Inca’s EL application is located inland from the northern coastline of East Timor, 40 kilometres east of Dili.

Manatuto is considered prospective for Ni-Co-Cr-(±Cu+Au) mineralisation. It comprises a sequence of ultramafic rocks (ophiolites) of the Banda Arc which form the broad target area for the above metals. The project area hosts known podiform Cr mineralisation extending over a 2,500m strike length with grades between 35 per cent and 51 per cent Cr in prior sampling (UN Report) and several quartz vein occurrences.

The Company will test the occurrence of ophiolite-sulphide Ni-Co-Cu mineralisation associated with the ophiolite sequence, the gold associated with the quartz veins and the significant Cr mineralisation previously reported.

Ossu
The Ossu project area within Inca’s EL application is located 14 kilometres north of the provincial town of Viqueque, 80 kilometres southeast of Dili.

Ossu is considered prospective for Co, Au, Ag, Cu and Zn mineralisation, comprising Banda Arc ultramafics and hosts known massive sulphides. Mineralisation at grades of 3.0 to 4.0g/t Au, 70.0g/t Ag and 10% Cu have been recorded (UN Report) in large in situ boulders within the Ossu project area. It is highly prospective for several metals applying several exploration models including, but not limited to Cyprus-style and Besshi-style VMS deposits.

Source: www.incaminerals.com.au