Tivan Adds 50km² to Baucau as Magnetic Anomaly Points to Copper-Gold Target
Key Takeaways
- The Government of Timor-Leste has approved a 50km² enlargement of Tivan's Baucau Project licence under Article 18 of the Mining Code, adding contiguous ground immediately east of the existing concession.
- The newly secured ground captures a large-scale regional magnetic anomaly measuring approximately 2.5km × 1km, which Tivan considers a high-priority exploration target along the same geological and structural corridor as the existing Scorpion and Vemasse prospects.
- The Scorpion Prospect within the existing concession has already returned grades of up to 6.87% Cu and 24.70 g/t Au from sampling, establishing the geological credibility of the broader trend.
- Tivan is simultaneously consolidating tenure on multiple fronts — including an option to acquire a licence to the west of Baucau and a joint venture with state-owned Murak Rai Timor E.P. — building a dominant early-mover position across the country.
- Senior Geologist George Manton has been promoted to Principal Geologist – Timor-Leste, providing dedicated senior leadership across Baucau, Turiscai, and Ossu as the in-country team grows to eleven staff with three additional geologists being recruited.
Tivan expands Baucau Project footprint with 50km² licence enlargement in Timor-Leste
The Government of Timor-Leste, acting through the National Mineral Authority (ANM), has approved the enlargement of Exploration and Evaluation License MEL2023-CA-ZB004 at Tivan’s Baucau Project, adding approximately 50km² of contiguous ground immediately east of the existing concession. The approval was granted under Article 18 of the Mining Code (Law No. 12/2021), a specific mechanism that allows a licence holder to request an enlargement where mineralisation identified through exploration is interpreted to extend beyond the existing concession boundary.
The newly secured ground captures a large-scale regional magnetic anomaly extending approximately 2.5km by 1km, which Tivan considers a high-priority exploration target. The company is exploring for copper and gold mineralisation at Baucau, including porphyry and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) style deposits.
| Project | Location | Licence Number | Area Added | Commodity Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baucau Project | ~123km east of Dili, Timor-Leste | MEL2023-CA-ZB004 | ~50km² | Copper, Gold (porphyry, VMS) |
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What the Baucau Project holds — and why the new ground matters
The Baucau Project sits approximately 123km east of Dili, comprising three granted Exploration and Evaluation Licenses, with an exploration compound in Ro-Ulo, Bahu. The project already hosts two compelling known prospects that establish why the additional ground is geologically meaningful.
The Scorpion Prospect features a significant polymetallic anomaly extending over approximately 1,000m × 800m, with grades of up to 6.87% Cu and 24.70 g/t Au returned from sampling. The Vemasse Prospect hosts a coherent Cu-Ag-Zn-S ± Se ± Bi geochemical trend identified over a 300m strike length.
The newly acquired magnetic anomaly shares comparable geometry and magnetic response with these prospective targets inside the existing concession, and occurs along the mapped continuation of the same geological and structural trend. Timor-Leste remains significantly underexplored, yet its broader geological setting hosts some of the world’s most significant copper-gold deposits, including Grasberg, Ok Tedi, Wafi-Golpu, and Panguna.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 from the announcement show the project location map, the enlarged concession against regional magnetic data (400m line-spaced magnetics, RTP 1VD), and a close-up focus on the anomaly within the enlargement area respectively.
Understanding magnetic anomalies in copper-gold exploration
A regional magnetic anomaly is a zone where rocks beneath the surface produce a measurable deviation in the Earth’s magnetic field. Geologists detect these variations using airborne magnetic surveys flown at low altitude, which record differences in magnetic intensity across large areas of ground.
In copper-gold exploration, magnetic anomalies matter because the rock types that host economic mineralisation — such as magnetite-bearing shear zones and altered volcanic units — often generate a distinct magnetic signature. A large, coherent anomaly suggests a substantial body of magnetically responsive rock that could be associated with the same geological processes that concentrate copper and gold.
The scale of this anomaly, at approximately 2.5km × 1km, is significant. It indicates a continuous feature sitting along the same geological and structural corridor already identified within the existing Baucau concession, which is precisely what makes it a priority target for systematic follow-up. Importantly, an anomaly at this stage represents a geophysical signal, not a confirmed deposit. Further fieldwork is required to understand what is driving it.
Building critical mass — consolidating tenure across Timor-Leste
This licence enlargement is one component of a broader tenure consolidation strategy Tivan has been executing across Timor-Leste. The recent steps include:
The Murak Rai joint venture brings a state-owned Timorese mining entity into the Baucau Project alongside Tivan, a partnership structure that reflects the government’s active role in the country’s emerging minerals sector.
- Enlargement of MEL2023-CA-ZB004 eastward (approximately 50km², this announcement)
- Binding Term Sheet with Iron Fortune Pty Ltd granting Tivan an option to acquire 100% of an additional Exploration and Evaluation License to the immediate west of Baucau (ASX: 20 August 2026)
- Binding Term Sheet with state-owned mining company Murak Rai Timor E.P. for the establishment of a joint venture in relation to the Baucau Project (ASX: 22 May 2026)
- Competitive award of a concession to the north of the Turiscai Project
Tivan’s in-country operational footprint is also growing. Local staff has reached eleven following the recent hire of an Operations and Executive Coordinator and a Corporate Services and Compliance Manager. Three additional geologists are being recruited to further strengthen the geology team, along with a Community Relations Officer for Baucau.
A key personnel development accompanies the expansion. Senior Geologist Mr George Manton has been promoted to the newly established role of Principal Geologist – Timor-Leste, providing dedicated senior geological leadership across the Baucau, Turiscai, and Ossu Projects. Mr Manton brings a strong technical background in copper and gold mineral systems, including exploration of IOCG and structurally controlled copper mineralisation across Queensland and the Northern Territory, and orogenic gold systems in Victoria. He has also undertaken regular field rotations to Timor-Leste since Tivan commenced exploration activities in-country.
Executive Chairman Grant Wilson
“An exciting development for Tivan. Beyond the large-scale magnetic anomaly shown, the decision by Timor-Leste’s government to grant the concession extension via Article 18 of the Mining Code illustrates the trust and respect that we have earned over the past eighteen months… Today is also a reminder of the significant responsibility we have in Timor-Leste to help build the nation. This is, at the same time, an unbounded opportunity to build our company.”
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Next steps — from anomaly definition to drill-ready target
Tivan has outlined a clear sequence of planned exploration activities across the newly enlarged concession:
- Geological assessment and field verification of the regional magnetic anomaly
- Targeted surface geochemical sampling across the prospective geological and structural corridor
- Extension of high-resolution geophysical coverage across the enlarged concession
- Integration of results with existing geological mapping and regional datasets to progressively refine and prioritise targets
Subject to the outcomes of this work, Tivan considers the regional magnetic anomaly has the potential to develop into a priority drill target for future exploration programmes at the Baucau Project. That qualification is important — the anomaly is a geophysical signal, and the planned fieldwork will determine whether it warrants drilling.
Taken together, consistent ground consolidation, a growing in-country technical team, and a clear path toward systematic target definition position Tivan (ASX: TVN) as an early mover in a substantially underexplored copper-gold jurisdiction.
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