Aurum Resources Drills Project-Best 28.8m at 22.9g/t Gold at Boundiali BST1
Key Takeaways
- Diamond drill hole BSDD0152 returned 28.80m at 22.92 g/t Au from 204m — the highest gram-metre intercept ever recorded at the Boundiali Gold Project, scoring 660.2 gpm.
- Gold mineralisation was intersected outside the current Mineral Resource boundary, confirming BST1 remains open along strike and at depth with resource growth optionality intact.
- The new holes are expected to grow the BST1 Indicated Resource (currently 6.9Mt at 0.9 g/t Au for 190koz) in the next MRE update, targeted for early Q4 CY2026.
- Aurum holds a 4.38Moz group resource base, a Probable Ore Reserve of 1.21Moz, environmental approval, and a cash balance above A$95 million — with construction targeted for early 2027 and first gold for H1 2028.
- Ownership of 16 diamond drill rigs underpins a 50% increase in annual drilling to 150,000m at Boundiali in CY2026, with a 30,000m Napié programme also planned for Q4 CY2026.
Aurum Resources hits project-best gold at Boundiali’s BST1 deposit
Aurum Resources has delivered its highest grade-thickness intercept ever recorded at the Boundiali Gold Project, with diamond drill hole BSDD0152 returning 28.80m @ 22.92 g/t Au from 204m, including 17.95m @ 36.57 g/t Au. The company describes this as a “project-best” result, the highest gram-metre intercept reported at Boundiali to date. The latest eight diamond drill (DD) holes totalling 2,564.35m at the BST1 deposit on the BST tenement (Aurum: 100% interest) also produced strong supporting hits from BSDD0150 and BSDD0142, signalling broad mineralisation. Critically, these results feed directly into the next Boundiali Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) update, targeted for early Q4 CY2026, and a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) expected late CY2026.
Dr Caigen Wang, Managing Director
“BSDD0152 has delivered a project-best intercept for Boundiali with 28.80m @ 22.92 g/t Au from 204m inc. 17.95m @ 36.57 g/t Au. In addition, BSDD0150 hit 57m @ 2.87 g/t Au from 192m inc. 5m @ 12.31 g/t Au. We expect these new holes to contribute to the BST1 Indicated Resource (currently 6.9Mt @ 0.9 g/t Au for 190koz) in the next MRE update for Boundiali, expected early in the December quarter.”
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What the drills found: standout intercepts from eight BST1 holes
All intercepts below are reported as downhole lengths using a 0.2 g/t Au cut-off grade with up to 3m consecutive internal dilution and no top cut applied.
The eight holes returned multiple mineralised zones downhole, with drilling intersecting gold mineralisation outside the current Mineral Resource. That last point matters: it means the gold system at BST1 remains open along strike and at depth, preserving resource growth optionality.
Significant intercepts from the programme include:
- 28.80m @ 22.92 g/t Au from 204m incl. 17.95m @ 36.57 g/t Au (BSDD0152) — project-best result
- 57m @ 2.87 g/t Au from 192m incl. 5m @ 12.31 g/t Au (BSDD0150)
- 22m @ 4.70 g/t Au from 279m incl. 2m @ 45.86 g/t Au (BSDD0142)
- 1m @ 32.53 g/t Au from 124m (BSDD0144)
- 4m @ 7.21 g/t Au from 357m (BSDD0142)
- 11m @ 2.06 g/t Au from 162m incl. 2m @ 8.10 g/t Au (BSDD0150)
- 2m @ 10.20 g/t Au from 134m incl. 0.50m @ 39.70 g/t Au (BSDD0150)
- 5.81m @ 3.49 g/t Au from 11.54m incl. 1.46m @ 11.95 g/t Au (BSDD0158)
Why ‘gram-metres’ matter: decoding Aurum’s project-best intercept
When geologists report a drill intercept, two numbers drive the economic story: grade (how much gold is in the rock, measured in grams per tonne) and width (how thick the mineralised zone is, measured in metres). Multiply the two together and you get gram-metres (gpm), the standard unit for comparing gold drill intercepts on an apples-to-apples basis.
Why does this matter? Because a very wide, lower-grade zone and a narrow, high-grade zone can carry similar economic weight in a mine. Gram-metres captures both in a single number, letting investors compare across different deposits and drilling programmes without being misled by either metric in isolation.
BSDD0152 scores 660.2 gpm. That figure reflects the rare combination of near-30m width at above 22 g/t Au, with an inner zone exceeding 36 g/t Au. Few intercepts at West African sediment-hosted projects reach this level, and the result stands out precisely because width and grade are both exceptional, not just one or the other.
There is also a direct pathway to resource quality. Thick, high-grade intercepts drilled at sufficient spacing allow geologists to upgrade Inferred material (lower confidence) to Indicated (higher confidence). Dr Wang has flagged that the new holes are expected to contribute to the BST1 Indicated Resource in the next MRE update. That is not just a volume story; it is a quality improvement that directly strengthens the foundation for the upcoming DFS.
A 4.4Moz platform advancing toward production
Where BST1 sits in the Boundiali picture
BST1 carries a current resource of 22Mt @ 0.8 g/t Au for 570koz, sitting within the broader 3.22Moz Boundiali Gold Project. The BST1 Indicated Resource currently stands at 6.9Mt @ 0.9 g/t Au for 190koz, a figure Dr Wang has signalled is expected to grow in the next MRE update as the new holes are assessed for inclusion.
The group-level picture is equally compelling, with Aurum holding combined resources of 4.38Moz across its two West African projects.
The BST tenement is not the only part of the Boundiali system producing exceptional grades; BMT3 and BMT1 drilling at Boundiali previously returned peaks of 367 g/t Au at depth, reinforcing the project-wide picture of high-grade mineralisation across multiple deposits.
| Project | Total Resource (Moz) | Indicated (Moz) |
|---|---|---|
| Boundiali | 3.22 Moz | 1.70 Moz |
| Napié | 1.16 Moz | 0.35 Moz |
| Group Total | 4.38 Moz | 2.05 Moz |
Source: Table 3, Group Mineral Resources as at 30 June 2026. Figures reported at 100% equity interest. May not add due to rounding.
Development milestones already banked
Aurum has accumulated a meaningful set of development credentials before a single tonne is mined, which matters to investors assessing project risk. Key milestones achieved to date include:
- Environmental approval received May 2026
- Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) and Maiden Ore Reserve delivered June 2026 (Probable Ore Reserve: 42.1Mt @ 0.9 g/t Au for 1,210koz)
- Three Mining Licence applications lodged
- Recent A$52.5m placement completed (cash balance now >A$95 million unaudited)
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Clear catalysts ahead: MRE update, DFS, and construction decision
For investors tracking Aurum’s near-term newsflow, the catalyst pipeline is clearly sequenced. The company has flagged the following targeted milestones:
- Next MRE update — targeted early Q4 CY2026 (drilling for the update closed 30 September 2026)
- DFS delivery — expected late CY2026
- Mining Licence grant — actively pursued, described as a key prerequisite for funding discussions
- Napié drilling — a 30,000m programme planned to commence Q4 CY2026 to grow the 1.16Moz resource
- Construction start — targeted early 2027
- First gold — targeted H1 2028
One structural competitive advantage underpins the pace of all of this: Aurum owns 16 diamond drill rigs. Self-owned equipment allows the company to run multi-rig drilling programmes concurrently at Boundiali and Napié without the scheduling constraints and cost premiums that come with hiring third-party contractors. That is what makes the acceleration from 100,000m to a targeted 150,000m at Boundiali in CY2026 (a 50% increase) operationally credible rather than aspirational.
A cash balance of >A$95 million (unaudited, post the A$52.5m placement) supports concurrent drilling, studies, and permitting without the company needing to immediately return to market.
Dr Caigen Wang, Managing Director
“Boundiali continues to grow in both scale and confidence, and today’s results reinforce that trajectory…”
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