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Private equity firm 3L has identified Australian gold explorer Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) as one of exploration companies primed for significant gold discoveries or research expansions in West Africa’s emerging world-class gold district.
“Aurum is definitely outlining volumes of mineralization that would pull a pit shell and be above the cutoff in a future resource estimate,” the 3L noted in a West Africa Primer titled, West Africa’s Gold - The New Caviar of the Gold Sector, issued in June 2024.
The report cited Aurum’s Boundiali gold project, in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, which has had a series of drilling successes during the first scout drilling program. Aurum's diamond drilling has been highly successful with results such as 4 metres @ 22.4 grams per ton (g/t) gold, 73 metres @ 2.15 g/t gold, 90 metres @ 1.16 g/t gold, or 12 metres @ 14.6 g/t gold.
Location of Aurum’s Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire
“Aurum saw strong demand from investors on the back of these results and raised A$17M on June 13. The funds will be used to ramp up drilling to 10,000m per month, and an initial resource estimate is expected in late 2024,” the report said.
Highlights of the report:
- West Africa is emerging as a premier gold mining district, as gold production continues to skyrocket.
- West Africa offers a quick path from discovery to production, with projects like Endeavour’s Lafigué asset, transitioning from exploration to gold production in just six years.
- Aurum Resources is one of eight gold exploration projects in West Africa with significant potential for gold discoveries and resource expansion.
- Investing in West Africa, while still carrying risks in terms of political instability and security, can potentially provide an enormous payoff with the right navigational and strategic approach.
For the full analyst report, click here.
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Aurum Resources
Investor Insights
Aurum Resources offers a compelling value proposition through its highly prospective gold asset in Côte d'Ivoire, a fast-emerging gold region in West Africa. It's cost-effective exploration strategy of drill rig ownership, also sets it apart from its peers.
Overview
Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) is a mineral exploration company primarily focused on gold through its flagship Boundiali gold project located in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Côte d'Ivoire's gold mining sector is experiencing significant growth and development, with several key projects contributing to the country's economic expansion. The overall gold mining sector in Côte d'Ivoire is supported by substantial investments in infrastructure and exploration.
Geopolitically, Côte d'Ivoire outperforms most developing countries in the world in political, legal, tax and operational risk metrics. Additionally, Côte d'Ivoire continues to make notable strides in its political stability and Absence of Violence and Terrorism Index.
Aurum is led by a board and management team with considerable experience and a track record of success in the mining industry and a history of creating shareholder value.
Company Highlights
- Aurum Resources is a precious metals company with exploration prospects in the same greenstone belt as the Syama (11.5 Moz), Sissingué (1.0 Moz), Tongon (5.0 Moz) and Kone Gold (4.5 Moz) deposits of West Africa.
- Upcoming catalysts include a maiden mineral resource estimate expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The company believes mineralization is open at depth and along strike and highlights the existence of numerous gold mineralization targets within the large land holding of Aurum’s Boundiali Gold Project.
- Aurum operates its own drill rigs, allowing the company to significantly reduce its exploration costs relative to peers.
- Management has a track record of creating value for shareholders from exploration through to project development, mine construction and gold production.
- Strong leverage to increasing gold prices that will benefit from a declining interest rate environment and rising global geopolitical risk factors.
- Well-funded for greater than 12 months and over 100,000 metres diamond drilling programs and metallurgical study
Key Project: Boundali Gold Project
The Boundiali gold project in Cote d’Ivoire is located within the Boundiali Greenstone Belt, which hosts Resolute’s Syama gold operation (11.5 Moz) and the Tabakoroni deposit (1 Moz) in Mali. Neighbouring assets also include Barrick’s Tongon mine (5 Moz) and Montage Gold’s Kone project (4.5 Moz).
The Boundiali project area covers the underexplored southern extension of the Boundiali belt, where a highly deformed synclinal greenstone horizon traverses finer-grained basin sediments, and to the west, Tarkwaian clastic rocks lie in contact with a granitic margin. The project benefits from year-round road access and excellent infrastructure.
The first stage of drilling at Boundiali occurred in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 for both the BM and BD tenements (BM1 and BM2; BD1, BD2 and BD3 targets) and was designed to test below-gold-in-soil anomalies oriented along NE trending structures. Having completed its initial exploration program, Aurum is now ramping up and undertaking a scout and step-back diamond drilling campaign with plans to increase its drilling fleet to include six rigs targeting a drilling rate of ~10,000 metres per month. The company expects to drill more than 45,000 metres of diamond core at Boundali to support an inaugural mineral resource estimate that is anticipated by the end of 2024.
Drilling costs are estimated at US$45 per metre, as Aurum owns all of its drilling rigs and employs its operators, representing a significant value proposition relative to peers who use commercial drilling companies that charge upwards of $200 per meter. The company believes there is potential for multi-million ounce gold resources to be defined with hundreds thousands meters of drilling over years within the Boundiali Gold Project’s land holding areas.
The Boundiali gold project comprises four contiguous granted licenses: PR0808 (80 percent interest), PR0893 (80 to 88 percent interest), PR414 (100 percent interest), and PR283 (70 percent interest). Historic exploration at PR0893 includes 93 AC drill holes and four RC holes. Airborne geophysical surveying, geological mapping and extensive soil sampling have also been performed at PR0893, while PR0808 has had 91 RC holes drilled for 6,229 metres along with geochemical analysis and modeling. Detailed geochemical sampling and drilling at PR414 revealed three strong gold anomalies and returned impressive high-grade results.
Following the renewal of its Boundali South (BST) exploration licence in September 2024, drilling at the Nyangboue deposit is ramping up. Previous exploration at BST has returned impressive results, including 20 m at 10.45 g/t gold from 38 meters, and 30 m at 8.30 g/t gold from 39 m.
In May 2024, Aurum entered a strategic partnership agreement to earn up to a 70 percent interest in exploration tenement PR283, to be renamed Boundiali North (BN). Aurum, through subsidiary Plusor Global Pty Ltd, has partnered with Ivorian company Geb & Nut Resources Sarl and related party (GNRR) to explore and develop the Boundiali North (BN) tenement which covers 208.87sq km immediately north of Aurum’s BD tenement. Further to this agreement, Aurum announced it has earned 51 percent project interest after completing more than 8,000 m of diamond core drilling. Aurum is continuing diamond drilling on the BM tenement targeting an initial JORC resource by late 2024.
Management Team
Troy Flannery – Non-Executive Chairman
Troy Flannery has more than 25 years’ experience in the mining industry, including nine years in corporate and 17 years in senior mining engineering and project development roles. He has a degree in mining engineering, masters in finance, and first class mine managers certificate of competency. Flannery has performed non-executive director roles with numerous ASX listed companies and was the CEO of Abra Mining until October 2021. He has worked at numerous mining companies, mining consultancy and contractors, including BHP, Newcrest, Xstrata, St Barbara Mines and AMC Consultants.
Dr. Caigen Wang – Managing Director
Dr. Caigen Wang founded Tietto Minerals (ASX:TIE), where he led the company as managing director for 13 years through private exploration, ASX listing, gold resource definition, project study and mine building to become one of Africa’s newest gold producers at its Abujar gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire. He holds a bachelor, masters and PhD in mining engineering. He is a fellow of AusIMM and a chartered professional engineer of Institution of Engineer, Australia. Wang has 13 years of mining academic experience in China University of Mining and Technology, Western Australia School of Mine and University of Alberta, and over 20 years of practical experience in mining engineering and mineral exploration in Australia, China and Africa. Other professional experience includes senior technical and management roles in mining houses, including St. Barbara, Sons of Gwalia, BHP Billiton, China Goldmines PLC and others.
Mark Strizek – Executive Director
Mark Strizek has nearly 30 years’ experience in the resource industry, having worked as a geologist on various gold, base metal and technology metal projects. He brings invaluable geological, technical and development expertise to Aurum, most recently as an executive director at Tietto Minerals’, which progressed from an IPO to gold production at the Abujar gold project in West Africa. Strizek has worked as an executive with management and board responsibilities in exploration, feasibility, finance and development-ready assets across Australia, West Africa, Asia and Europe.
Additional High Priority Antimony Targets Identified over 10km Corridor at Yallalong Project
Highlights
- Ground geophysical survey over the identified 10km antimony corridor at Yallalong is complete and final data has been processed and interpreted.
- Detailed interpretation of the geophysical data integrated with previous drilling data significantly expands the scale of the exploration model for high-grade antimony mineralisation at Yallalong.
- 14 new, high priority, structural targets analogous to the high-grade Discovery Target have been identified and will be evaluated in the next drilling campaign.
The geophysics has identified 14 new structural antimony targets at Yallalong analogous to the Discovery Target, where historic drilling intercepted high-grade antimony.
Octava’s Managing Director Bevan Wakelam stated, "The new gravity data redefines the exploration model for high grade antimony at Yallalong. It explains the presence of anomalous antimony along the structural corridor and predicts potential hot spots along it. It is exciting to consider the possibility of a continuous system extending under cover for more than 10 kilometers and having a method to pinpoint the most prospective zones. Planning work is already underway for drilling of these new targets "
Antimony
The Yallalong project is located ~ 220km to the northeast of the port town of Geraldton in Western Australia. The antimony (Sb) mineralisation identified at Yallalong appears within a 10km north- south striking mineralised corridor.
Previous exploration identified four principal antimony targets where antimony mineralisation was exposed at surface. Only the Discovery Prospect had previous drilling and recorded high-grade antimony intercepts over a strike length of ~300m, including 7m @ 3.27% Sb.
A detailed geophysical survey was undertaken to identify underlying structures, such as shears and faults, which act as conduits to mineralising fluids. It also outlines key lithological boundaries. These factors are important in the formation of antimony deposits worldwide.
Interpretation of the geophysical data and the historic drilling has re-defined the exploration model for high grade antimony at Yallalong. Fourteen new targets analogous to the Discovery Target have been identified and will be evaluated through planned drilling. See Figure 1.
Figure 1. Summary structural interpretation and with existing and newly identified Sb targets at Yallalong.
Atlas Geophysics conducted the gravity survey using a 100m x 100m grid pattern, with additional measurements on a 50m x 50m grid over the Discovery Target. NewGen Geo, a geophysical consultancy, carried out the gravity data processing and interpretation.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Octava Minerals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Ore Purchase Agreement with Westgold Resources Unlocks Gold Production from Crown Prince
HIGHLIGHTS
- New Murchison Gold (NMG) and Westgold Resources (Westgold) have entered into an Ore Purchase Agreement (OPA) which will underpin production from NMG’s Crown Prince deposit near Meekatharra, Western Australia in 2025.
- Subject to final regulatory permitting, under the OPA, NMG will commence mining from a new open pit operation at Crown Prince with a targeted commencement date of mid-2025.
- Ore will be hauled 33km by road to the Bluebird Gold Processing Plant, part of Westgold’s Murchison Gold Operations at Meekatharra.
- Ore will be sold to Westgold in several parcels (Ore Parcels) totalling 30-50kt per month with each Ore Parcel certified for grade, moisture and recovery from sampling at the Crown Prince site and a recovery factor agreed for each mining bench from test work replicating the Bluebird Mill circuit.
- The OPA has no fixed term although NMG envisages that most of Crown Prince ore is likely to be processed in an “Initial Period” which runs over the first 24 months of the agreement. Thereafter ore tonnages are to be agreed on a rolling three-month basis once production forecasts have been completed by NMG and Westgold has confirmed mill availability.
- Westgold will purchase ore from NMG based on contained gold in each Ore Parcel at the prevailing AUD gold price in the month the Ore Parcel is collected (minus processing costs and a capital recovery charge). Westgold must promptly collect Ore Parcels that are available for collection.
- The OPA is subject to shareholder approval (Listing Rule 10.1 requirement) at a general meeting of NMG shareholders to be held in late January or early February 2025.
- NMG and Westgold have also entered into an ancillary agreement (Licence and Access Water Discharge Deed) which facilitates NMG’s potential dewatering requirements at Crown Prince.
Alex Passmore, NMG’s CEO commented: "We are very pleased to announce the Ore Purchase Agreement with Westgold as it sees both companies working together to support the development of NMG’s Crown Prince deposit in a capitally efficient manner.
We see this Agreement as beneficial to all shareholders with Westgold acquiring additional high grade oxide ore feed to supplement its Meekatharra operations and NMG transitioning to a producer for modest capital.
The Bluebird Processing Plant owned by Westgold is ideal for NMG due to its close proximity and well-matched metallurgical process. We believe the robust frameworks and protocols we have put in place in this Agreement aligns both operational teams to a common goal of maximizing operational efficiency.
We thank the Westgold team for the technical and commercial work that has led to this Agreement and look forward to working collaboratively in making the development of Crown Prince a success”
Crown Prince is located to the north of Meekatharra, around 33km via road to the Bluebird Gold Processing Plant (Bluebird) owned and operated by BBGO. Westgold and NMG have been working collaboratively on the OPA to manage technical risks and to share economic synergies which are available via the partnering of production from the Crown Prince deposit and milling at Bluebird.
Key Terms of the OPA are outlined in the Table below and will be explained fully in a Notice of Meeting to be sent to NMG shareholders in December. The NMG shareholder meeting is likely to be held in late January or early February 2025. As a result of Westgold’s 18.7% ownership of NMG, it is deemed a related party under the ASX Listing Rules and so the OPA includes a condition precedent of NMG obtaining shareholder approval under Listing Rule 10.1.
BDO Corporate Finance Australia Pty Ltd (BDO) has been engaged to provide an opinion and Independent Expert’s Report to accompany the Notice of Meeting to assist shareholders in their considerations of whether or not to approve the OPA moving into operation.
Should the conditions precedent be met (shareholder approval) the OPA will come into effect with NMG expecting mining approvals to be received in early April 2025. Once mining operations commence, and ore stockpiles are built up, it is anticipated that first Ore Parcel sales will occur in September 2025.
The company is working towards an ore reserve estimate to provide further detail on the economics of the project which is to be released shortly.
Plan of Access and Water Infrastructure - Crown Prince
Authorised for release to ASX by the Board of New Murchison Gold Limited.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from New Murchison Gold Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Aurum Resources Investor Kit
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