Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) has returned ‘high-grade’ gold intercepts from diamond drilling at the BST1 deposit within its 3.22-million-ounce (Moz) Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, including mineralisation beyond the current resource envelope.
Hole BSDD0165 returned 9.55m @ 5.18 grams per tonne gold (Au) from 75.45m. A narrow interval within it graded 0.65m @ 41.38g/t Au, comparable to a separate 1m hit of 43.93g/t Au in BSDD0147 from 268m.
Wider intervals include 13m @ 2.08g/t Au from 258m in BSDD0149, including 5m @ 3.32g/t Au. BSDD0153 returned a similar broader zone of 18.45m @ 1.32g/t Au from 318.55m, including 3m @ 3.79g/t Au.
Hole BSDD0181 returned 12.25m @ 1.76g/t Au from 489.9m, including 4.15m @ 4.23g/t Au. The intercept lies outside the current mineral resource, with the hole still in mineralisation when it ended at 502.15m.
Results are reported at a 0.2g/t Au lower cut-off with up to 3m of internal dilution and no top cut. All widths are downhole lengths, with true widths estimated at 60–85% of reported downhole lengths.
The results come from 25 diamond holes totalling 7,121.75m at BST1, on the BST tenement in which Aurum holds a 100% interest.
The holes were a mix of infill, step-out, and extensional drilling. They aimed to test the limits of known mineralisation along strike and at depth, and upgrade inferred mineral resources to the indicated category.
Rigs, funding, and the road to production
Managing Director Dr Caigen Wang says the holes form part of a wider program at BST1, which hosts 22 million tonnes @ 0.8g/t Au for 570,000 ounces.
“These holes form part of the 120 holes for more than 31,000m completed at BST1 since the last mineral resource update,” Wang says.
“These results will be considered by the competent person for inclusion in the updated MRE, expected by the end of October, which in turn feeds the Boundiali DFS targeted for late CY2026.”
The drilling forms part of an expanded 150,000m program at Boundiali for 2026, 50% larger than previously planned. Aurum’s 16 company-owned rigs allow that program to run alongside a 30,000m campaign at the 1.16Moz Napié Gold Project, due to commence this quarter.
Aurum is funding the work from a cash balance of more than $95 million. Environmental approval was granted in May 2026, and the Prefeasibility Study and maiden ore reserve followed in June.
The company is now focused on securing the mining licences and completing the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), ahead of a final investment decision and construction, with first gold targeted in H1 2028.
Aurum Resources is an Australian gold explorer and developer advancing a portfolio of projects in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Main image: Aurum Resources
