Aurum Resources has spectacularly ticked another box in a recent string of gold hits at its Boundiali project in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, with an 83-metre best run assaying 4.87 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 106m at the company’s BD Target 1 (BDT1).
Two runs in the primary 83m intercept jagged 6.29m at 34.94g/t gold and 8m at 14.81 g/t gold.
These were sweetened by an assembly of other hits, including 2.76m at 1.13g/t gold, 1m at 2.22g/t, 7m at 2.11g/t, 2m at 1.70g/t, 3m at 1.33g/t and 8m at 2.08g/t gold, which are scattered regularly along the length of the 83m run.
The deepest run of 8m at 14.81m from 179m takes the important mineralisation to 187m depth. The hole was pushed to 303.15m.
It also features other shallow primary intercepts, including a most notable 6m hit at 1.05g/t gold from 40.97m and 5m at 1.38g/t from 75m depth.
The headline intercept from BDT1 represents a best-to-date tenement and project result, compared with other results on a gold grade x intercept metres basis, with the 83m at 4.87g/t gold intercept yielding a 404-gram-metres result.
The current diamond drilling at the BD tenement has put in five holes at BDT1 for a total of 1503.45m and four holes into the nearby BD Target 3 (BDT3) for 713.8m.
Intercepts reported from three other holes at BDT1 include one delivering 0.83m at 172.40g/t gold from 14.82m and 53.77m at 0.81g/t gold from 55.13m, including 5m at 3.40g/t gold.
A second hole gave up 20.83m at 2.63g/t gold from 116.70m, including 5m at 3.25g/t gold and 9m at 3.88g/t gold, and a separate 29.44m run at 1.30g/t gold from 142.56m, including 5m 1.45g/t gold and 7m at 2.13g/t gold.
A third hole yielded a long run of 43.50m assaying 1.38g/t gold from 52.50m, including 7m at 4.71g/t gold and 7m at 1.99g/t gold, and a 13m run at 1.14g/t gold from 202m, including 4m going 2.99g/t gold.
Drilling at the second BDT3 target delivered gold in all four holes, with a best run of 22m at 0.59g/t gold from 78m, including 1m at 3.77g/t gold, and 9m assaying 1.42g/t gold from 127m, including 2m going 3.33g/t gold.
Aurum Resources’ managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “We knew there were high grades in among the thick zones of gold mineralisation at BDT1… and (these) latest results further validate this and will help us better understand and target these plunging high-grade shoots with drilling; remembering that gold mineralisation is still open at BDT1.”
The Boundiali BD tenement is the southernmost of a contiguous group of tenements that comprise the Boundiali project. The BDT1 target is one of seven current or priority drilling areas within the BD tenement.
Aurum has already established an interim 340,000-ounce inferred gold resource for BDT1 and 440,000 ounces of gold for BD Target 2.
All the targets are on a 13 kilometre, 3km-wide mineralised corridor defined within the BD tenement.
Geochemistry indicates a strong likelihood the corridor extends southward into the company’s separate adjacent BST ground.
Structural trends suggest the corridor may also extend northward into Aurum’s adjacent BN ground.
All eight of Aurum’s self-owned diamond rigs are continuing to drill at the Boundiali project with a goal of achieving 100,000m this year and other assays are still to come.
The company plans to deliver two mineral resource updates this year, which will expand the maiden 1.59-million-ounce estimate. It is also working to complete a Boundiali pre-feasibility study by the end of the year.
Aurum has drilling programs planned for both its Boundiali and separate Napié projects, which have a combined 2.5m ounces of gold, placing the company in a strong position to achieve significant resource growth this year.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Doug Bright
