Aurum Resources Ltd (ASX:AUE) has expanded the mineral resource at its Napié Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire to 1.16 million ounces, lifting its total group resource base to 4.2Moz across its West African portfolio.
The updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) marks a 34% increase at Napié, adding 290,000 ounces at a consistent grade of 1.2 g/t gold and introducing a maiden Indicated Resource component — a key step towards future development studies.
The upgrade comes as Aurum continues aggressive drilling campaigns across both Napié and its flagship Boundiali project, reinforcing its strategy to build scale in one of the world’s most prolific gold regions.
Updated Napié Gold Project JORC Mineral Resource Estimate (figures may not add up due to appropriate rounding).
Napié resource grows and confidence improves
The revised MRE incorporates the Tchaga and Gogbala deposits and includes:
- Total resource: 1.16Moz at 1.2 g/t gold, up 34%
- Indicated resource: 0.35Moz at 1.2 g/t gold
- Inferred resource: 0.82Moz at 1.2 g/t gold
The introduction of Indicated ounces reflects improved drilling density and geological confidence, with portions of the previous Inferred resource upgraded rather than new mineralisation alone.
Updated Napié Gold Project Mineral Resource compared to previous Mineral Resource (there were no Indicated Resources in the previous model.
Importantly, mineralisation at both deposits remains open along strike and at depth, with deeper drilling at Tchaga confirming extensions beyond 300 metres below surface.
Aurum managing director Dr Caigen Wang said the update highlights both the quality of the deposits and the broader opportunity along the Napié shear system.
“This MRE update (delivered within 12 months of completing the Mako Gold acquisition) represents a significant milestone for the Napié Gold Project and for Aurum as a whole,” he said. “What excites us most is what this update reveals about the broader Napié opportunity.”
Aurum’s Napié Gold Project.
Significant upside along largely untested shear zone
Despite the resource growth, exploration at Napié is still at a relatively early stage.
Wang explained that only around 13% of the 30-kilometre Napié Shear Zone has been systematically drilled, while the current resource footprint covers just 4.4 kilometres of that corridor.
The project sits within the highly prospective Birimian greenstone belts of West Africa — a region known for hosting large-scale orogenic gold systems.
Aurum has identified multiple undrilled prospects along the shear, with ongoing drilling targeting both depth extensions and new zones of mineralisation.
A 30,000-metre diamond drilling program is currently under way at Napié, aimed at expanding the resource base and improving classification.
Strong metallurgy and near-surface potential
Early metallurgical test work at the Tchaga deposit has returned encouraging results, with gold recoveries averaging:
- 94.7% for primary mineralisation
- 94.3% for oxide material
These results support the potential for conventional processing and strengthen the project’s economic outlook.
Around 85% of the current resource sits within 200 metres of surface, suggesting potential for open-pit mining scenarios, while deeper drilling continues to test extensions below this level.
Global Napié Mineral Resources by depth from surface (0 - 300m use 0.3 g/t COG, >300m use 1g/t COG).
Group resource reaches 4.2Moz as drilling ramps up
The Napié update lifts Aurum’s combined resource base to 4.2Moz, comprising:
- 3.03Moz at the Boundiali Gold Project
- 1.16Moz at Napié
Aurum Mineral Resource growth timeline.
Boundiali remains the company’s flagship asset, with a 100,000-metre drilling program under way and a pre-feasibility study expected in the near term.
The growing scale across both projects underpins Aurum’s ambition to establish a multi-asset gold platform in Côte d’Ivoire.
The company is also well funded to support this strategy, reporting $61 million in cash at the end of March 2026.
Location of Aurum’s Projects in Côte d'Ivoire.
Building scale in West Africa
The latest update continues a run of strong exploration and resource growth for Aurum, following earlier drilling success and ongoing expansion at Boundiali.
With both projects advancing in parallel — and significant portions of the Napié shear still untested — the company is increasingly shifting from pure exploration towards defining development-scale assets.
For now, the focus remains on drilling, resource growth and upgrading confidence — but the addition of Indicated ounces at Napié signals the project is beginning to move into its next phase.
Location of Aurum’s Projects in Côte d'Ivoire.