Aurum Resources has taken another significant step forward at its rapidly growing Boundiali West African gold project in Côte d'Ivoire. Its latest drilling results have reinforced the project's growth potential by extending gold mineralisation outside the existing estimated resource envelope at the company’s BDT2 deposit.
The company has reported results from the final 10 diamond drill holes in its current campaign which totalled 3565 metres. Drilling was aimed at testing the limits of the deposit both along strike and at depth. The program forms part of Aurum's broader 100,000-metre drilling push at Boundiali.
The best intercept in the most recent round of results was 0.61 metres assaying 47.60 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 189.39m.
A second hole gave up 4.46m at 4.23g/t gold from 90m including 0.50m at 35.19g/t gold, while a third hole delivered a 39m run averaging 0.79g/t gold from 372m, including a respectable 3m at 5.76g/t gold.
Most notably, however, the drilling intersected gold mineralisation outside the company’s existing mineral resource estimate, with Aurum saying the BDT2 gold system remains open and follow-up drilling is already being planned.
The BDT2 deposit is one of several key targets identified at an early stage by the company within its “BD” exploration tenement, in the southwestern part of the overall Boundiali project suite which is made up of seven adjacent and mostly contiguous tenements
The deposit is currently estimated to contain a probable reserve of 17.5 million tonnes at 0.6g/t gold for 354,000 ounces of gold.
The latest drilling results are expected to bolster the rapidly expanding inventory at Boundiali, which currently hosts a 3.22-million-ounce gold resource. Boundiali forms the core of Aurum's broader group resource base across Côte d'Ivoire which expands to 4.4-million-ounces once the additional 1.2 million ounce Napié gold project is included.
Aurum Resources managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “Our latest BDT2 results reinforce the momentum we continue to drive across the Boundiali deposits. This final batch of step-out drilling has pushed mineralisation beyond the current resource envelope and confirmed the system remains open at dept and highlight both grade and scale potential in areas previously untested.”
Management says its latest results will be incorporated into the next major resource update, targeted for the end of the September quarter this year.
The company is also pushing hard towards development, with a definitive feasibility study (DFS) expected in late 2026. Aurum has recently secured environmental approval for the project, delivered a prefeasibility study and a maiden ore reserve, all of which are key milestones on the company’s trajectory towards mining licence approvals.
Aurum's massive exploration effort and big drilling metreage is supported by its rare advantage among junior gold companies, centred around its ownership of an entire fleet of 16 diamond drill rigs across its Boundiali and Napié projects.
The latest results follow a strong batch of BDT2 assays reported on June 29, when Aurum hit 6.54m at 13.36g/t gold from 272m, including 3.70m at 23.32g/t gold from 274m which also contained a spectacular 1.7m at 70.35g/t gold. The results have revealed the deposit's potential to host high-grade zones outside the existing resource envelope and have extended mineralisation to more than 400m below surface.
With a reported cash balance of $54.7M at the end of June and drilling continuing across multiple targets within the Boundiali district, Aurum appears well positioned to pursue further growth ahead of its next resource update and planned definitive feasibility study.
Boundiali has already grown from a major exploration success story into what could become a sizeable development project. With mineralisation still open, 16 rigs operating and another resource update looming, Aurum appears well set to keep its remarkable growth story rolling.
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By Doug Bright
