Aurum Resources (ASX: AUE) has recorded its highest-grade gold hit to date from diamond drilling at its Boundiali project in the West African nation of Côte d'Ivoire, with 1m going 163 grams per tonne gold from 277m.
The impressive section was contained within a wider 12.22m intercept grading 14.56g/t gold from 275m that was recorded 60m down-dip from a previous 4m segment at 22.35g/t from 226m. The latest results were delivered from step-back diamond drilling focused on the company’s BD Target 1 – a 1.3km by 1km-wide gold prospect within a 13km-by-3km mineralised corridor.
Previous assays from diamond drilling at the target showed a 73m hit going 2.15g/t from 172m including 4m at 18.63g/t from 185m, in addition to a wider 90m section grading 1.16g/t gold from 143m.
Buoyed by its slew of positive hits at Boundiali, Aurum is set to add a fourth diamond rig to its latest campaign, with its eyes on delivering a whopping 6000m of drilling each month. The company’s ongoing drill program aims to chew through about 30,000m this year and it expects to deliver an initial mineral resource estimate for the operation by late 2024.
Aurum Resources managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “We are very pleased to see this project best result for BD target 1 with DSDD0051 hitting 1m @ 163.42 g/t Au within an interval of 12.22m @ 14.56 g/t Au from 275m. This interval was 60m down dip from 4m @ 22.35 g/t Au (DSDD0004) and the system remains open as we systematically step out along strike and step back to test down-dip.”
Wide and high-grade gold hits are becoming a regular occurrence for Aurum at Boundiali. BD Target 2 is about 6km to the north of BD Target 1, where Aurum previously reported 73m grading 2.15g/t gold from 172m and earlier this month revealed a 90m-thick hit going 1.16g/t from 143m.
Just last week, the company delivered 74m grading 1g/t gold from 167m including a 6m interval grading 3.31g/t gold and an 8m section at 1.51g/t from 71m. Another diamond hole went as high as 33m at 0.84g/t gold from 146m including 1m at 9.95g/t, while a different hole threw up a 1m hit grading 10.01g/t from 71m.
The project area covers the underexplored southern extension of the Boundiali greenstone belt that is considered prospective for gold and has some noteworthy neighbours working their own ground nearby.
Perseus Mining has a 1.4 million-ounce gold resource at its Sissingue mine about 50km along strike to the north of Boundiali. To the northeast of Aurum’s ground, the Tongon deposit holds a 5 million-ounce resource and Montage Gold is sitting on 4.5 million ounces at its Koné project to the south.
Cashed up with about $5 million in the kitty to support its aggressive drill program and with a fourth rig set to supercharge the campaign, Aurum appears to be making quick progress as its exploration blitz brings the company closer to a mineral resource at Boundiali.
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