Aurum strikes 7.5-gold ounce dirt in West African ground

Aurum Resources has reported exceptional recent results from ongoing exploration diamond drilling at the company’s Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, where it holds an 80 per cent interest in the BM tenement. 

The company has completed 23 diamond core holes totalling 5728.9 metres of drilling at its BM Target 3 deposit within Boundiali.

The program has yielded more high-grade gold intercepts, including a best hole delivering 4.2m at 80.64 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 107m depth, including 2.9m at 116.66g/t gold and 1.43m at an astonishing 234.35g/t gold. A separate run intercepted 5.66m at 6.99g/t gold from 121m. A 234.35g/t gold grade equates to more than 7.5 Troy ounces of gold per tonne.

A second-best hole intercepted 13m at 2.18g/t gold from 40m, including 5m at 3.39g/t gold. A third-best hole in the current assays cored through 3m at 4.32g/t gold from 332m, including 1m at 8.88g/t gold. 

All depths are downhole dimensions. The true widths are estimated to be between 60–80 per cent of the downhole lengths.

The latest results further strengthen the overall highly prospective indications gained from a growing body of recent drilling results.

These now include 17 selected holes with hot intercepts such as 3m at 50.56g/t gold from 124m, including 1m at 150.5g/t gold, a long run of 29m at 1.55g/t from 178m, including 13m at 2.19g/t gold, and a separate hole which nailed 1.19m at an eye-watering 277.54g/t gold from 31m. The last results equate to 8.9 ounces per tonne. 

Aurum Resources managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “It is my pleasure to announce further shallow high-grade gold intercepts at the Boundiali project, including 234.35 g/t gold over 1.43m within 80.46 g/t gold over 4.2m from 107m. This intercept, located 70m west and 100m down dip from a 230m-long artisanal open pit, was from drilling targeting extensions of known mineralisation in the current BMT3 MRE.” 

Wang said the company had reduced the line spacings to 100m along strike. The drilling program continues to extend the limits of known mineralisation along strike and up and down dip, ahead of an expected uplift in the mineral resource for its BM Target 3 in Aurum’s next resource update. 

Mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth, highlighting the emerging potential of the 1.59 million ounce Boundiali project.

Aurum has an ambitious exploration program at Boundiali, with eight company-owned diamond rigs targeting 100,000m of drilling in 2025. 

The program aims to expand the resources at the company’s BST, BD and BM deposits, to advance known prospects and test new targets identified from soil geochemistry and geological mapping. 

The company plans to incorporate these results into two mineral resource estimates this year. It expects to update and expand the current 1.59-million-ounce resource in late July, followed by a second update by year-end incorporating the results from drilling planned for its BST, BD and BM targets. 

Aurum has also initiated a pre-feasibility study for an open-pit operation at Boundiali, set for completion by the end of the year, to evaluate the project’s economic and technical viability. 

A separate 30,000m diamond drilling program is also underway at the company’s Napié gold project, about 110 kilometres southeast of Boundiali, targeting expansion of its 0.87-million-ounce resource. It expects to release an updated mineral resource estimate for Napié by the end of the year.

Backed by a strong financial position, including $46.9 million in cash and an unaudited Montage share value from a recent $35.6 million private placement, Aurum remains strongly funded to continue its busy exploration and development schedule. 

The Australian-based explorer is focused on its high-grade gold projects in Côte d'Ivoire, including Boundiali and the nearby Napié projects, through aggressive drilling and development. 

If Aurum maintains its current discovery rate with long intercepts and some exceptional gold grades, punters could be forgiven for salivating at the project’s potential being revealed in its imminent mineral resource upgrades.

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