Aurum Resources Ltd (ASX:AUE) has secured a major regulatory milestone for its rapidly growing Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, receiving environmental approvals across all three proposed mining licence areas as the company pushes towards development studies and eventual production.
Aurum said Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition had issued three Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (EIESA) certificates covering the BST, BD and BM mining licence applications at Boundiali, which now hosts a 3.22-million-ounce gold resource.
Under Ivorian mining law, environmental approval is a mandatory prerequisite before a mining licence can be granted, making the approvals a significant de-risking step for the project.
The approvals follow a 12-month Category A environmental and social assessment process spanning more than 572 square kilometres, including community consultation, a statutory public inquiry and review by an inter-ministerial technical committee in Abidjan earlier this month.
EIESA Inter‑Ministerial Technical Committee review with Aurum representatives in Abidjan, 7 May 2026.
“The granting of all three EIESA certificates is a transformational milestone for Boundiali,” Aurum managing director Dr Caigen Wang said.
“It is the result of 12 months of comprehensive environmental and social work across more than 572km² and demonstrates the strong support we have on the ground from the Ivorian Government, regulators and host communities.”
Advancing towards development
The approvals come just weeks after Aurum upgraded the Boundiali resource to 3.22 million ounces, including a 24% increase in indicated ounces to 1.70 million ounces, reinforcing the scale of what has quickly become one of the more closely watched emerging gold development stories in West Africa.
Aurum said the Boundiali pre-feasibility study remains on track for completion this quarter, while a definitive feasibility study is targeted for the fourth quarter of calendar 2026.
The company is continuing an aggressive drilling campaign aimed at further expanding the resource base, with 16 company-owned diamond rigs currently operating across the broader project area.
The three Boundiali mining licence application areas (pink outlines) over the broader Boundiali tenement package.
Boundiali sits within a prolific gold belt in northern Côte d’Ivoire near several established operations and major development projects, including Resolute Mining’s Syama mine, Perseus Mining’s Sissingué operation and Montage Gold’s Koné project.
The broader Aurum portfolio now hosts 4.38 million ounces of gold resources across the Boundiali and Napié projects.
Three approvals across key licence areas
The three EIESA certificates relate to separate mining licence applications covering the BST, BD and BM tenements.
The BST area, where Aurum holds a 100% beneficial interest, covers about 167 square kilometres, while the BD and BM tenements cover about 130 square kilometres and 275 square kilometres respectively under various earn-in joint venture structures.
Environmental approvals issued.
The company noted that the mining licence applications are already under examination by Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy and can now progress with environmental clearance secured.
The approvals also formalise environmental and social management plans intended to guide the future design, construction and operation of a potential Boundiali mine.
Strong funding position
Aurum said it remained well funded to continue both exploration and development activities, reporting A$61 million in cash at the end of March.
The company has been among the more active gold explorers on the ASX over the past year, rapidly growing its Côte d’Ivoire resource base through continuous drilling at both Boundiali and Napié while also progressing metallurgical, environmental and development studies.
With environmental approvals now in hand, investor attention is likely to increasingly shift towards the upcoming pre-feasibility study and the timeline for mining licence approvals as Aurum moves further along the path from explorer to potential West African gold producer.
Location of Aurum’s projects in Côte d'Ivoire.