Aurum Resources has pulled a drill intercept with one of the highest grades recorded to date, hitting a 0.72 metre intersection grading a stunning 367.05 grams per tonne (g/t) gold at its flagship Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa.
The spectacular hit was part of a broader high-grade zone of 1.76m at 150.87g/t gold from a depth of 485.94m at the company's BMT3 deposit, which sits in the central eastern part of the extensive Boundiali tenement group. It comes from the latest batch of assays from 36 diamond drill holes in the company’s massive 100,000m drill-out at the project.
The BMT3 deposit is currently estimated to contain a probable reserve of 8.8 million tonnes at a grade of 1.4g/t gold for a total of 383,000 ounces of gold.
Other significant results from the BMT3 deposit include 15.50m at 3.88g/t gold from 179m and 10m at 3.46g/t gold from 280m. Critically, the company says the latest drilling has intersected gold mineralisation outside the current mineral resource boundary, supporting the potential for further resource growth.
The Boundiali project already boasts a formidable resource of 3.22 million ounces of gold, which includes a higher-confidence indicated component of 1.7 million ounces.
Drilling at the BMT1 deposit also returned a notable 6.80m at 28.76g/t gold from 120.20m, including a richer 2.80m section going 69.53g/t gold.
Meanwhile, drilling at the BMT2 prospect in the extreme north of the BT licence area - one of seven defined targets in the tenement, which does not yet have a defined resource - continues to build a case for a new deposit. Recent hits here include15m at 1.05g/t gold from 112m and a broad 66.30m intercept grading 0.61g/t gold from 129.70m, including 4.23m going 1.94g/t gold.
Aurum’s West African projects are located in the highly prospective Birimian greenstone belt of Côte d'Ivoire, a geological terrane regarded as serious elephant country for gold. The belt hosts major operations including Resolute Mining’s 11.5-million-ounce Syama mine, Perseus Mining’s 1.4-million-ounce Sissingué mine and Montage Gold’s 6-million-ounce Koné project.
Aurum’s total group mineral resource across its Boundiali and Napié projects now stands at a commanding 4.38 million ounces of gold.
The company is pursuing an aggressive growth and development strategy, deploying a fleet of 16 company-owned diamond drill rigs across its projects. With a healthy $54.7 million in cash as of the end of June, it is well-funded to continue its work at a rapid clip.
Aurum is not just drilling for ounces, it is also on a clear pathway to production. It delivered a prefeasibility study and a maiden ore reserve of 1.21 million ounces for Boundiali in June, having already secured environmental approvals in May.
The company is now driving towards a definitive feasibility study, or “DFS”, targeted for completion by the end of this year, with mining licences expected to be granted in the third quarter. The ultimate goal is to achieve its first gold pour in the first half of 2028.
Aurum Resources managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “Our latest results from BM continue to build the case for further resource growth at Boundiali. At BMT3, new holes extend high-grade mineralisation at depth, adding to the strong grades already returned along its 2.3km strike.”
“With 16 diamond rigs owned by Aurum now active across Boundiali, these results will feed directly into our next major resource update, targeted for the end of Q3 CY2026.”
“Our balance sheet remains strong with A$54.7M in cash, enabling us to advance drilling, studies and permitting in parallel. Environmental approval in May and the delivery of the PFS and Maiden Ore Reserve in June have set a clear pathway toward Mining Licences and DFS completion later this year.”
With a massive resource already in the bag, a war chest of cash in the bank and a fleet of its own drill rigs turning day and night, Aurum appears to have all the ingredients for success.
The latest spectacular intercept of 367g/t gold from 485.94m shows the system has plenty of high-grade and depth potential and with a major resource update and a DFS on the horizon, this West African gold story is moving at a pace that is hard to ignore.
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