17m at 9.38 g/t Gold Extends Aurum’s Napié Mineralisation Depth
Aurum Resources has reported impressive high-grade gold intercepts at its Napié Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, extending mineralisation depth and reinforcing its growth ambitions. The company is advancing a large-scale drilling campaign and plans key resource updates and a Pre-Feasibility Study by year-end.
- 17m at 9.38 g/t gold intercept extends mineralisation depth at Tchaga deposit
- 30,000m diamond drilling program underway at Napié targeting resource expansion
- Combined 3.28Moz gold resource base across Napié and Boundiali projects
- Pre-Feasibility Study for Boundiali Gold Project expected by end 2025
- Aurum well-funded with $40 million to support exploration and development
Strong Drill Results at Napié
Aurum Resources Limited (ASX, AUE) has unveiled compelling assay results from its latest diamond drilling campaign at the Tchaga deposit, part of the Napié Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire. The standout intercept of 17 metres grading 9.38 grams per tonne gold, including a remarkable 1 metre at 143.58 g/t, significantly extends known mineralisation from 120 metres depth to over 340 metres. This deepening of high-grade shoots underscores the deposit’s robust potential.
The Tchaga deposit, currently hosting an inferred resource of 545,000 ounces at 1.16 g/t gold, is a key component of Aurum’s 0.87 million ounce Napié resource. These initial two diamond holes, totaling nearly 700 metres, are the first tranche of a 30,000-metre drilling program aimed at expanding the resource and improving geological confidence ahead of a planned update later this year.
Aggressive Exploration and Resource Growth Strategy
Aurum is executing a dual-front exploration strategy, simultaneously advancing a 100,000-metre diamond drilling program at its larger Boundiali Gold Project, which currently holds a 2.41 million ounce resource. Together, these projects underpin a combined resource base of 3.28 million ounces of gold, positioning Aurum as a significant emerging gold developer in West Africa.
The company’s Managing Director, Dr. Caigen Wang, highlighted the benefits of Aurum’s internally owned fleet of 10 diamond rigs, enabling cost-effective and accelerated drilling. This operational advantage supports Aurum’s objective to deliver substantial resource growth and to complete a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for Boundiali by the end of 2025, a critical milestone for advancing the project towards production.
Geological Context and Ongoing Work
The Napié Project lies within the Birimian Daloa greenstone belt, a prolific gold-bearing region characterized by structurally controlled orogenic mineralisation. Gold is hosted in quartz veins and alteration halos within a major shear zone extending over 30 kilometres. The recent drilling results confirm that mineralisation remains open both along strike and at depth, suggesting significant upside potential beyond current resource boundaries.
Drilling at Tchaga continues with further assays pending, and Aurum plans to integrate these results into an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) by year-end. Concurrently, exploration at Boundiali is focused on resource expansion and new discoveries, supported by extensive drilling and geological mapping.
Financial Position and Outlook
With a strong cash position of approximately $40 million, including Montage shares, Aurum is well-capitalized to sustain its aggressive exploration and development programs. The company’s strategic focus remains on unlocking value through resource growth and advancing project economics, with the PFS for Boundiali expected to provide a clearer pathway to production.
As Aurum progresses through 2025, the market will be watching closely for the upcoming resource updates and the PFS outcomes, which will be pivotal in shaping the company’s valuation and development trajectory.
Bottom Line?
Aurum’s latest drilling success at Napié sets the stage for meaningful resource growth and critical project milestones in 2025.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the updated resource estimates at Napié and Boundiali impact Aurum’s valuation and development plans?
- What are the key risks and uncertainties associated with the ongoing drilling programs and PFS timeline?
- Could further high-grade extensions at depth materially change the economics of the Napié project?
