Aurum hits 11 ounce dirt in West Africa

Aurum Resources has delivered an eye-watering 350 grams per tonne gold – more than 11 ounces to the tonne - over a 0.8m drill intersection from its BMT3 target in the northern third of the company’s “BM” project area. The area is part of Aurum’s Boundiali suite of contiguous or closely-adjacent gold exploration properties in the West African nation of Cote D’Ivoire.       

In keeping with its stunning run of successes throughout much of its determined exploration assault across the six core targets identified to date, Aurum’s latest results have delivered a string of standout gold intercepts from its massive 100,000m infill drilling program at Boundiali.

The latest results from the BMT3 and BST1 deposits highlight high-grade, continuous mineralisation, with strong potential for further growth, as both deposits remain open along strike and at depth.

At its BMT3 target, drilling returned exceptional results which include 3.8m at 73.82g/t gold from 274m, which included the 0.8m hit going 350g/t gold, while another hole hit 1m at 274.89g/t gold from 380m. 

Broader zones include 11m at 3.20g/t gold from 336m, incorporating 9m at 3.85g/t gold  and separately,  13.33m at 1.78g/t gold from 128.57m, with 2m at 9.67g/t gold. 

The results build on previously-reported high-grade hits such as 4.2m at 80.64g/t gold, including 1.43m assaying 234.35g/t and 5.66m going 6.99g/t gold from 121m. Another hole which gave up 9m at 24.61g/t gold included 4m at 54.64g/t gold from 222m.

Additionally, at the company’s BST1 target area in the southwest BST tenement area, a 3m intersection came in at 10.61g/t gold from 118m and includes 1m at 30.68g/t gold.

Drilling at BST1 also intersected 23m at 1.34g/t gold from 218m, with 5.8m at 2.34g/t gold and a third hole which delivered 21.33m at 1.14g/t gold from 351m, including 5m at 2.38g/t gold. 

The results reinforce previously-revealed impressive intercepts from BST1 that include 20m at 10.45 g/t gold  and another hole which nailed 30m going 8.30g/t gold from 39m. 

True widths for both deposits are estimated at 60-80% of downhole lengths.

Aurum Resources’ managing director Dr. Caigen Wang said: “We have hit more bonanza grade mineralisation with 0.8m @ 350g/t gold from 277m in MBDD277 at Boundiali’s BMT3 deposit.  This new intercept is located around 100m NE along strike of our previous intersection of 1.43m at 234.35 g/t gold from 107m and confirms the system at BMT3 hosts multiple high grade shoots.” 

Aurum’s exploration program continues to charge ahead, with two new company-owned rigs boosting the fleet to twelve units.

Drilling will also take in Aurum’s Napié gold project, about 100km southeast of the Boundiali ground, which currently contains an estimated inferred global mineral resource of 22.5 million tonnes at 1.2g/t gold for 868,000 ounces of gold across its Tchaga and Gogbala resource targets. 

Management says its recent successes are not just isolated to the Boundiali ground. Recent drilling at Napié also returned a welcome result of 17m at 9.38g/t gold from 236m which significantly extends mineralisation at depth.

The company is also immersed in a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for Boundiali and expects to have the results out in the first quarter of next year, alongside significant resource updates for both projects. 

Recent resource updates underscore Boundiali’s growth, with Aurum announcing an update for BMT3 on 6 October that had lifted its estimated indicated resources to 7.6 million tonnes at 1.3g/t for 320,000 ounces of gold, with the effect that the global Boundiali indicated resource inventory had leapt 53% to 0.92 million ounces of gold.

The BST1 resource stands with a current estimate of combined inferred and indicated resources that contributes another 12.5 million tonnes to the overall project at 0.9g/t for 360,000 ounces of gold. With the latest infill drilling results, it would not be unreasonable to expect the anticipated resource update will lift that number. 

Aurum’s strong $40M cash position supports its aggressive, cost-effective exploration strategy.

The company’s Boundiali gold project continues to deliver blockbuster hits. With its current 2.41 million ounce total combined resource and Napié’s 0.87 million ounce inferred resource added to the mix, Aurum’s total combined 3.28 million ounces of gold inventory is big by any measure – and if recent drill results are any gauge, that number is heading north again …. and soon.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au