Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) has intersected bonanza-grade gold mineralisation in the latest assay results from its ongoing 100,000-metre diamond drilling program at the Boundiali gold project in Côte d'Ivoire.

The company has received assay results from 36 diamond drill (DD) holes totalling 9,452.00 metres, comprising a combination of infill, step-out, and extensional drilling. The drilling was distributed across three deposit areas on the northern half of the BM tenement: BMT3 (19 holes for 5,845.85m), BMT1 (11 holes for 2,396.85m), and BMT2 (6 holes for 1,209.30m).

The latest drilling has intersected gold mineralisation outside the current mineral resource envelope, supporting further resource growth potential. A standout intercept returned 1.76m at 150.87 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 485.94m depth, including a higher-grade interval of 0.72m at 367.05 g/t gold. Grades at these levels are exceptional even by the standards of West Africa's Birimian greenstone belts, which host several of the world's most prolific gold deposits and have attracted sustained exploration and development investment across Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire.

Managing Director Dr Caigen Wang told shareholders that 16 diamond rigs owned by Aurum are now active across Boundiali, with the latest results to feed directly into the next major mineral resource estimate (MRE) update, targeted for the end of Q3 CY2026.

"Our latest results from BM continue to build the case for further resource growth at Boundiali. At BMT3, new holes extend high-grade mineralisation at depth, adding to the strong grades already returned along its 2.3km strike," Dr Wang said.

"To date, the resource at BMT1, which extends over 2.5km of strike, is limited by historic drilling that is too widely spaced to support an Inferred classification — new infill drilling is now targeting those areas to bring them into the resource, and we expect it to grow."

"At BMT2, which sits outside the current Mineral Resource for the same reason, today's results support further growth potential, although more drilling is required before it can be classified."

"We've now tested over 1km of strike at BMT2, including parallel mineralised structures, with several assays still pending. Combined with earlier results to the north indicating potential over roughly 1.2km, we see scope to extend BMT2's mineralised trend beyond 2km with continued drilling success."

Aurum reported a cash position of $54.7 million, which the company said enables it to advance drilling, studies, and permitting activities in parallel.

Environmental approval was received in May, and the pre-feasibility study (PFS) and Maiden Ore Reserve were delivered in June, establishing a pathway toward Mining Licence applications and completion of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) later in 2026. The pace from maiden resource through PFS to a planned DFS inside roughly two years places Boundiali among the more advanced development-stage gold projects currently progressing in Côte d'Ivoire, where the government has sought to streamline permitting to grow the mining sector's contribution to national output.

"Boundiali continues to grow in both scale and confidence, and today's results reinforce that trajectory. We look forward to reporting further progress on Boundiali exploration and development through the remainder of 2026," Dr Wang said.

As Aurum advances Boundiali toward development, the company is ramping up drilling with 16 diamond rigs testing strike and depth extensions across the BD, BM, and BST tenements. Results from the 2026 drilling campaign and the PFS will be incorporated into the DFS, which is expected in late 2026.

AUE shares closed up 4.00% at 52.0 cents, giving the company a market capitalisation of $204.0 million.