Kaoko Metals has begun its maiden diamond-drilling campaign at the Chalkos Copper-Silver Project in north-western Namibia, marking the company’s transition from surface exploration to its first subsurface test of the mineralised system.
The Australian Securities Exchange-listed explorer said drilling contractor Optimine Exploration & Drilling Namibia mobilised to the project on 3 August, with drilling now underway at the high-priority Donkey Hill and Otniel prospects.
The initial campaign comprises 2,000 to 3,000 metres of diamond drilling designed to determine whether copper-silver mineralisation exposed at surface continues at depth and along strike.
Managing director Gerard O’Donovan described the commencement of drilling as a defining milestone for the company.
“The start of drilling at Chalkos represents a defining milestone for Kaoko Metals and follows months of systematic exploration and target generation. The team has completed an extensive body of work to refine these initial drill targets, and we are excited to now be testing the significant copper mineralisation exposed at surface for continuity at depth.”
He said the maiden programme would also provide critical geological and structural information to improve understanding of the broader mineralised system and guide future exploration across the project.
The drilling programme follows months of reconnaissance mapping, geological interpretation and target refinement. It will test known copper-silver mineralisation at Donkey Hill and Otniel, investigate the down-dip and along-strike continuity of mineralisation, assess depth extensions beneath surface outcrops and evaluate the structural controls believed to govern mineralisation across the project.
In parallel with drilling, Kaoko has launched a detailed geological and structural mapping programme covering the approximately 2.2-kilometre prospective corridor between Donkey Hill and Otniel.
The work is being undertaken with a specialist structural geologist and aims to improve understanding of the geological architecture controlling mineralisation.
Data from the mapping programme will be integrated with drill core observations to refine the company’s geological model and identify additional high-priority drill targets across the broader Chalkos Project.
The commencement of drilling follows Kaoko’s rapid progression since listing on the ASX in May after raising A$6.5 million through its initial public offering.
The company completed the acquisition of the Chalkos Copper-Silver Project and has prioritised it as its flagship asset, ahead of the Karibib Copper-Gold-Tungsten Project, due to encouraging surface mineralisation and the quality of the defined drill targets.
Earlier this year, Kaoko appointed Optimine following a competitive tender process that assessed technical capability, operational experience, safety performance, equipment availability and local operating knowledge.
The company said the Namibian drilling contractor’s experience would support the efficient execution of the maiden campaign.
The results from the drilling programme are expected to determine whether the copper-silver mineralisation identified at surface extends into an economically significant system at depth. If successful, the campaign will form the basis for follow-up drilling across the wider Chalkos tenure as Kaoko seeks to establish a new copper discovery in Namibia’s underexplored Kaoko Copper Belt.
