Aurum finds gold beyond BST1 resource as Boundiali update nears

Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) has struck gold outside the current resource at BST1, adding another potentially important data point ahead of the next Mineral Resource Estimate for its Boundiali project in Côte d’Ivoire. The company reported assays from 25 diamond holes covering 7,121.75 metres, with the strongest results including 9.55 metres at 5.18 g/t gold and 1 metre at 43.93 g/t.

BST1 drilling extends mineralisation beyond resource boundary

The most consequential result came from hole BSDD0181, which returned 12.25 metres at 1.76 g/t gold from 489.9 metres, including 4.15 metres at 4.23 g/t. The hole intersected mineralisation outside the current BST1 resource and ended in mineralisation at 502.15 metres, according to Aurum.

The latest batch also included 1.26 metres at 23.10 g/t from 25 metres in BSDD0159, 13 metres at 2.08 g/t from 258 metres in BSDD0149 and 5 metres at 5.26 g/t from 283 metres in BSDD0157. Aurum says the mineralised system remains open along strike and at depth, with follow-up drilling planned outside the existing resource. The results extend the thread from the September BST1 resource extension, which included 2.63 metres at 76.74 g/t gold.

October resource estimate will determine how much converts

BST1 currently carries a resource of 22 million tonnes at 0.8 g/t gold for 570,000 ounces. The new holes were drilled for a mix of infill, step-out and extension purposes, including upgrading Inferred material to Indicated and testing previously unclassified mineralisation.

These assays, together with geological data from drilling completed by 30 September, will be assessed for inclusion in the next Boundiali MRE, targeted for the end of October. That estimate will follow the strongest Boundiali intercept reported on 30 September, when Aurum announced 28.8 metres at 22.92 g/t gold at BST1. The comparison matters because the upcoming estimate, rather than any single intercept, will determine how much of the expanded drilling supports a formal resource increase or classification upgrade.

Boundiali moves from drilling toward development

Aurum has expanded its 2026 Boundiali drilling target to 150,000 metres and says 16 company-owned diamond rigs are operating across the project. The company also plans to begin a 30,000-metre diamond program at its 1.16 million-ounce Napié project this quarter.

The company reported more than A$95 million in unaudited cash following a recent placement and says it is progressing drilling, studies and permitting concurrently. Environmental approval for Boundiali was granted in May, while a pre-feasibility study and maiden Ore Reserve were delivered in June. Mining licence approvals and completion of the DFS remain ahead of any final investment decision, with first gold targeted for the first half of 2028.

Aurum’s group Mineral Resources total 4.38 million ounces, comprising 3.22 million ounces at Boundiali and 1.16 million ounces at Napié. The headline drilling results are encouraging, but they remain downhole lengths rather than true widths, which the company estimates at roughly 60% to 85% of reported intervals. The next hard test is whether the October MRE can turn geological continuity into tonnes, grade and higher-confidence ounces.