- 01High-grade hits extend three Boundiali zones.
- 02Drilling targets growth beyond Boundiali’s 3.22Moz resource.
- 03Updated MRE targeted early in December quarter; DFS expected late this year.
Aurum Resources (ASX: AUE) has returned further high-grade gold intercepts across three targets at its Boundiali gold project in Côte d’Ivoire as it prepares an updated mineral resource estimate.
Assays from 60 diamond drill holes totalling 10,649.85 metres cover the BMT1 and BMT3 deposits, as well as the BMT2 prospect within the 80%-owned BM tenement.
The latest drilling intersected mineralisation beyond existing resource boundaries and is intended to expand the project’s current 3.22-million-ounce gold inventory while improving confidence in established deposits.
Results will be assessed against the 30 September drilling cut-off for the next MRE, targeted for early in the December quarter, ahead of a definitive feasibility study expected late this year.
Three High-Grade Targets
Drilling at BMT3—which currently hosts 18.6 million tonnes grading 1.3 grams per tonne for 750,000 ounces—returned 5.85m at 8.77g/t from 335.15m, including 3.85m at 13.02g/t.
Other BMT3 intersections included 18.50m at 2.54g/t from 49.50m, including 7m at 5.54g/t, as well as 5.84m at 5.58g/t from 141.56m.
BMT1—which has an existing resource of 8.8Mt at 1.1g/t for 320,000 ounces—delivered a broader 29m interval at 2.08g/t from 167m, incorporating 20.24m at 2.82g/t.
The same target produced another 29.38m at 1.08g/t and a separate 6m intersection at 3.11g/t, including a higher-grade 1m interval at 16.57g/t.
At BMT2, where no resource has yet been defined, results included 7.46m at 1.34g/t and 9.49m at 0.94g/t, providing further data for a potential maiden Inferred estimate.
Ongoing Resource Conversion
The latest batch combines infill, step-out, and extension work across the BM tenement comprising 28 holes at BMT1, 11 at BMT2, and 21 at BMT3.
Aurum is seeking to upgrade Inferred material to the higher-confidence Indicated category at BMT1 and BMT3 while building sufficient drill density to classify mineralisation at BMT2.
Most holes encountered multiple mineralised zones, and the wider BM system remains open along strike and at depth, with further drilling planned outside currently defined resources.
Mineralisation at BMT3 is hosted in a diorite body between volcanic and sedimentary rocks, while gold at BMT1 and BMT2 occurs in quartz-veined sandstone associated with pyrite.
The intercepts are reported as downhole lengths, with estimated true widths of approximately 60% to 85%, and the eventual MRE contribution remains subject to geological assessment.
Development Timetable
Aurum is pursuing 150,000m of drilling at Boundiali during calendar 2026, using a fleet of 16 company-owned diamond rigs, and also plans to begin a 30,000m drilling campaign this quarter at its Napié gold project, which has a resource of 1.16 million ounces.
“Boundiali continues to grow in both scale and confidence, and today’s results support that,” managing director Dr Caigen Wang said.
“We look forward to reporting further progress through the remainder of CY2026 and into CY2027.”
Following environmental approval in May and delivery of a pre-feasibility study and maiden ore reserve in June, Aurum is targeting mining licences, completion of the DFS and funding ahead of a possible early-2027 construction start and first gold in the first half of 2028.
Aurum reported an unaudited cash balance exceeding A$95 million following its recent placement.
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