Aurum Resources Ltd (ASX:AUE) has continued to build momentum at its Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, with new drilling highlighting the scale and growth potential of the BDT2 deposit within the company’s expanding resource base.
The company isn't resting on its laurels and will continue to explore that potential. It has 130,000 metres planned for CY2026, with 14 diamond drill rigs turning to drive resource growth at Boundiali and Napié. Meanwhile, the Boundiali Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) is expected in May 2026 and the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) is expected late CY2026.
Latest assay results from 40 diamond holes for 12,093.3 metres have returned multiple thick gold intersections at BDT2, where drilling has been aimed at both extending mineralisation beyond current resource boundaries and lifting confidence in existing ounces.
Key drill intercepts from the BDT2 deposit include:
- 36 metres @ 1.99 grams per ton (g/t) Au from 280m inc. 1.85m @ 27.97 g/t Au (DSDD0395)
- 4.84 metres @ 7.23 g/t Au from 147.10m inc. 1.24m @ 26.73 g/t Au (DSDD0395)
- 22 metres @ 1.40 g/t Au from 97m inc. 1m @ 22.00 g/t Au (DSDD0408)
- 2 metres @ 11.40 g/t Au from 115m inc. 1m @ 22.31 g/t Au (DSDD0415)
- 18.50 metres @ 1.18 g/t Au from 245m inc. 3.50m @ 4.60 g/t Au (DSDD0394)
- 30 metres @ 0.84 g/t Au from 280m inc. 2.70m @ 3.65 g/t Au (DSDD0394)
The results follow a period of rapid growth at Boundiali, which now stands at 3.03Moz, helping underpin Aurum’s combined group resource of 4.2Moz across Boundiali and Napié.
“These new results continue to demonstrate our drilling team's ability to cost-effectively grow Mineral Resources at Boundiali at a rate our peers cannot match. Most of the 40 holes have been drilled to lift Inferred Resources to Indicated status, while others have been designed to test the limits of known mineralisation. The deeper holes confirm the gold system remains open at depth and most of the new holes have intersected multiple zones of thick gold mineralisation, with standout results including 36m @ 1.99 g/t Au from 280m (DSDD0395)," Aurum’s managing director Dr. Caigen Wang said.
"These results demonstrate the scale potential on offer at Boundiali. Our drilling at Boundiali has targeted only the most obvious outcropping anomalies and we have achieved rapid resource growth to 3.03Moz since acquiring the ground. All deposits remain open and we now have 14 diamond drill rigs operating to drive resource growth of these deposits, as well as testing the enormous potential for blind discoveries. Group gold resources now stand at 4.2Moz and with $61M in the bank, we are perfectly positioned for our diamond drills to deliver further resource growth, in addition to delivering the Boundiali PFS in May 2026, as we drive towards a DFS in late 2026."
Boundiali cements cornerstone status
Boundiali is Aurum’s flagship project and now forms the foundation of the company’s push from exploration success toward development.
The latest BDT2 results reinforce that position, showing mineralisation remains open at depth and along strike within a broader 13 kilometre by 3 kilometre mineralised corridor. Much of the recent work has targeted conversion of inferred resources into the indicated category, while also testing for extensions outside the existing mineral resource estimate.
That combination of resource growth and confidence building is important as the company advances technical studies. Boundiali is already the larger of Aurum’s two key gold projects and, with its scale, open-ended mineralisation and ongoing drilling success, is increasingly being shaped as the project likely to anchor future production.
The company is also in a strong funding position, with $61 million in cash at March 31, 2026, providing support for continued aggressive drilling and study work.
What comes next
Aurum is now focused on turning resource growth into development progress.
At Boundiali, 14 diamond rigs are operating as part of a 100,000-metre drilling program designed to test strike and depth extensions across the project and support further resource growth and conversion. The next major mineral resource update is targeted for the third quarter of calendar 2026.
The project’s open-pit pre-feasibility study is due in May 2026, with outcomes from that work and the ongoing drilling program expected to feed into a definitive feasibility study planned for late 2026.
Alongside Boundiali, Aurum is also planning a 30,000-metre diamond drilling program at Napié to grow its 1.16Moz resource, while continuing regional exploration aimed at generating additional discoveries across its broader ground position in Côte d’Ivoire.
Boundiali: Moving to Development
- Drilling (100,000m): 14 diamond rigs will continue testing strike and depth extensions across BD, BM, and BST tenements.
- Resource Updates: Next major MRE update is targeted for Q3 CY2026.
- PFS Delivery: Open-pit Pre-Feasibility Study is expected in May 2026 to evaluate project economics.
- DFS Transition: Results from new 2026 drilling and the PFS will be incorporated in a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) expected in late 2026.
Napié: Scaling the Resource
- Resource Expansion: A 30,000m diamond drilling program is planned to grow the 1.16Moz gold resource.
- Drilling Efficiency: Aurum is building an exploration camp near the gold deposits to reduce operating costs.
Regional Exploration & Discovery
- Pipeline Generation: Scout drilling is planned for the BD, BM, and BST tenements to test new targets identified via soil anomalies and geological mapping.
- Early-Stage Growth: Advancement of the Encore JV and Major Star Plus partnership projects to identify new gold systems.