Aurum Resources’ latest assays from seven diamond drill holes punched into the BST1 target at its Boundiali gold project in Côte d’Ivoire have confirmed gold mineralisation extends to a vertical depth of 220m below the current mineral resource.
The company’s standout deep intercept at the prospect delivered 29m at 1 gram per tonne (g/t) gold from 444m downhole depth, including an eyebrow-raising 1m at 18.14g/t gold. Another hole delivered 8m at 3.38g/t gold from 279m and featured 1m at a heady 22.80g/t gold.
The drilling has confirmed beyond doubt the BST1 system remains open and retains strong depth persistence and strike potential.
Additionally, at the company’s BDT3 target - 19 kilometres north of BST1 – a further 10 diamond holes were drilled on a 100 to 200m line spacing to test for depth extensions.
Key intercepts from that program were 7m at 1.23g/t gold from 352m, including 3.58m at 2.05g/t gold. The intercept probed 50m deeper and vertically below the current lower boundary of the BDT3 resource envelope.
A second intercept at BDT3 delivered 7.09m at 1.09g/t gold from 291m, including 1.09m at 3.91g/t gold. As with its BST1 target, the results support the company’s view that the BDT3 mineralised system also remains open at depth and potentially along strike.
The new results have emerged from Aurum’s ongoing 100,000m diamond drilling program, which is aimed at growing ounces and firming up confidence ahead of the company’s next mineral resource update, targeted for Q3 CY2026.
Aurum Resources managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “These new results continue to demonstrate the Boundiali system has a potential gold endowment well above our current Mineral Resources. At BST1, we have confirmed depth (220m below current MRE) and strike extensions.”
The assay results from the BDT3 and BST1 drilling were received after the cut-off date for their inclusion in Aurum’s recent Boundiali mineral resource estimate update. However, management says they will be incorporated in the next update, slated for Q3 CY2026.
With multiple resources, deposits and targets spread across a sprawling 75km mineralised corridor, Aurum now views Boundiali as a potential hub-and-spoke operation, feeding a central processing facility from a pipeline of growing gold deposits. The concept will be assessed as part of Aurum’s upcoming pre-feasibility study due in Q2 CY2026.
Aurum recently updated Boundiali’s resource to 99.7 million tonnes grading 1g/t for 3.03 million gold ounces. The company has highlighted the venture’s strong infrastructure, including grid power, roads and water, alongside its three mining licence applications, which it expects to be granted in Q3 CY2026.
Aurum’s combined group resources in the West African nation currently stand at 4.2 million ounces of gold, including its satellite 1.16 million-ounce Napié project.
The company says that with $61M in cash as of 31 March 2026, it is well-funded to keep its 14 diamond drill rigs churning out metres.
With the next resource update pencilled in for Q3 and related study milestones stacking up through 2026, Aurum looks set to keep the drill bits turning and maintain an exciting news flow, steadily moulding its Boundiali project into a significant West African gold development story.
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By Doug Bright
