Aurum Resources Ltd (ASX:AUE) has increased the total mineral resource at its flagship Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire to 3.22 million ounces (Moz) of gold, with a sharp lift in higher-confidence Indicated resources expected to feed directly into the project’s upcoming pre-feasibility study (PFS).
The updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) includes a 24% increase in indicated resources to 1.70Moz following an aggressive infill drilling campaign at the BDT2 deposit, while total Boundiali resources rose 6% overall.
Updated Boundiali Gold Project Mineral Resource compared to previous Boundiali Mineral Resource.
Aurum said the additional indicated ounces would be incorporated into the Boundiali PFS, which remains on track for delivery this quarter.
The revised estimate now includes:
- Indicated resources of 54.5 million tonnes at 1.0 g/t gold for 1.70 million ounces;
- Inferred resources of 52.9 million tonnes at 0.9 g/t gold for 1.52 million ounces; and
- A higher-grade component of 1.68 million ounces at 1.7 g/t gold using a 1.0 g/t cut-off grade.
The Boundiali upgrade lifts Aurum’s combined group resource base across Côte d’Ivoire to 4.38Moz, including the company’s 1.16Moz Napié Gold Project.
Aurum Mineral Resource growth timeline.
Infill drilling drives confidence upgrade
The latest resource update focused solely on BDT2, where Aurum said intensive drilling successfully converted substantial inferred material into the Indicated category.
Managing director Dr Caigen Wang said the latest resource upgrade reflected the success of Aurum’s accelerated drilling and development strategy at Boundiali.
“This MRE update represents another milestone at our Boundiali Gold Project, headlined by a 24% increase (+330,000 oz) in Indicated resources to 1.70 Moz gold,” Wang said. “This follows an aggressive infill drilling campaign at BDT2 that successfully converted Inferred to Indicated resources.”
He added that the company had grown Boundiali from a greenfield discovery into a 3.22Moz gold project in just 28 months, supported by Aurum’s self-owned fleet of 16 diamond drill rigs.
The company’s broader 100,000-metre drilling program at Boundiali is ongoing and is designed to both expand the resource base and continue upgrading confidence levels ahead of future feasibility work. Aurum said mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth across all deposits and prospects.
Another major resource update is planned for the September quarter of calendar 2026.
Location of Aurum’s Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
PFS work advances
The resource growth comes as Aurum advances development studies for what it describes as a large-scale integrated open-pit operation at Boundiali.
The company said the updated Indicated resources would feed directly into engineering and mine planning work underway as part of the PFS process.
Independent consultant SLR noted the resources were reported using cut-off grades of 0.4 g/t gold above 300 metres depth and 1.5 g/t below 300 metres, based on preliminary pit optimisation work and assumptions tied to open pit and underground mining scenarios.
Metallurgical work completed so far has also continued to support conventional processing potential.
According to the company, earlier test work indicated:
- Gold recoveries of 95–99% at relatively coarse grind sizes;
- Fast leaching kinetics;
- Strong gravity recovery potential; and
- Suitability for a standard gravity and carbon-in-leach processing circuit.
Further PFS-level metallurgical work is underway.
Côte d’Ivoire scale play continues to grow
Boundiali sits within the same highly prospective greenstone belt as several major West African gold operations, including Resolute Mining’s Syama mine, Perseus Mining’s Sissingué mine and Montage Gold’s Koné project.
Location of Aurum’s Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
The project comprises multiple neighbouring tenements in northern Côte d’Ivoire, where Aurum has rapidly expanded resources through sustained drilling since taking over exploration management in late 2023.
More than 215,000 metres of drilling had now been completed across Boundiali since Aurum began its campaign, with the company operating drilling teams day and night using its in-house fleet.
Aurum ended the March quarter with an unaudited cash position of $61 million, which Wang said leaves the company fully funded to maintain its exploration and development pace across both Boundiali and Napié.