Aurum finds more high-grade gold beyond Boundiali’s BST1 resource

• 22 diamond holes covering 6,172.80 metres at BST1
• Mineralisation confirmed outside the current BST1 resource
• 2.63m at 76.74 g/t gold, including 1.30m at 155 g/t
• Boundiali MRE update targeted for early Q4 2026
• Aurum expects more than A$95 million cash after recent placement

BST1 drilling pushes beyond existing resource

Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) has found more gold outside the current Mineral Resource Estimate at BST1, adding weight to the company’s case that its Boundiali project in Côte d’Ivoire can continue to grow before development decisions are finalised. The latest results came from 22 diamond holes covering 6,172.80 metres across infill, step-out and extension drilling on the 100%-owned BST tenement.

The headline intercept is a narrow but exceptionally high-grade 2.63 metres at 76.74 g/t gold from 195.20 metres in hole BSDD0137, including 1.30 metres at 155 g/t. Other notable results included 24 metres at 6.31 g/t from 108 metres in BSDD0143, 9.50 metres at 7.59 g/t from 168.50 metres and a separate five-metre interval at 13.19 g/t in BSDD0135.

These are downhole lengths rather than true widths. Aurum estimates true widths at roughly 60% to 85% of the reported intervals, a distinction that matters when translating drill results into mineable tonnes. The company said the mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth, with follow-up drilling being planned.

Results arrive before Boundiali resource estimate

The timing is important. Drilling for the next Boundiali MRE closes at the end of September, with the update targeted for early Q4 2026. Aurum said the BST1 results are intended to support both resource growth and the conversion of previously inferred mineralisation into higher-confidence indicated material.

BST1 currently carries 22 million tonnes at 0.8 g/t gold for 570,000 ounces, including an indicated resource of 6.9 million tonnes at 0.9 g/t for 190,000 ounces. At project level, Boundiali stands at 3.22 million ounces, while Aurum’s wider portfolio contains 4.38 million ounces across Boundiali and the 1.16 million-ounce Napié project.

The company has drilled more than 120,000 metres at Boundiali during 2026, including more than 36,000 metres on the BST tenement, and says its expanded programme now targets 150,000 metres at Boundiali this year. Sixteen Aurum-owned diamond rigs are being used across the project, a setup the company says allows exploration, resource conversion and development work to proceed concurrently.

Cash and studies support development timetable

Aurum expects to hold more than A$95 million in cash following its recent A$52.5 million placement. That capital is intended to support drilling, studies, permitting and early development work while the company advances the Boundiali DFS, scheduled for late 2026.

The development timetable remains conditional rather than locked in. Aurum is targeting mining licence grants, final funding and construction commencement in early 2027, with first gold targeted for the first half of 2028. The environmental approval was received in May, while the company said its PFS and maiden ore reserve were delivered in June.

The next hard test is whether the new drilling translates into a meaningful increase in the MRE rather than simply a collection of attractive intercepts. The early Q4 resource update, followed by the DFS, should provide a clearer measure of how much of BST1’s open mineralisation can support the proposed development case.

Bottom Line?

The drilling strengthens Aurum’s growth narrative, but the investment case now turns on the size and quality of the MRE uplift and the DFS that follows.

Questions in the middle?

• How much additional indicated gold will the BST1 drilling add to the early Q4 MRE?
• Will the new mineralisation improve the economic assumptions in the Boundiali DFS?
• Can Aurum secure mining licences and development funding in time to meet its early 2027 construction target?