Kaoko Metals (ASX:KAO) has targeted maiden diamond drilling at its Chalkos Copper-Silver Project in the Kunene Region of northern Namibia in approximately six weeks, following a successful site visit.
Kaoko has refined its near-term exploration strategy and will now prioritise diamond drilling at the Chalkos Copper-Silver Project ahead of the previously planned maiden program at the Karibib Gold-Copper-Tungsten Project.
The decision to accelerate planned drilling at Chalkos reflects the compelling nature of targets defined at the Donkey Hill and Otniel prospects, where copper mineralisation outcrops at surface and is interpreted to be strongly influenced by structural controls.
Site access and drill readiness works have progressed more quickly than anticipated, enabling earlier mobilisation.
“At Chalkos, the quality of the surface mineralisation, the potential scale of the system, and the emerging structural interpretation have given us confidence to accelerate our maiden drilling program,” Managing Director Gerard O’Donovan says.
At Karibib, Kaoko will shortly commence a comprehensive soil sampling campaign across the broader project area.
The revised approach follows the company’s review of the scale of the Karibib land package and the opportunity to define additional targets outside the known mineralised areas prior to drill testing.
“At Karibib, we see significant value in applying a broader regional targeting approach as we move towards drilling. Systematic soil and calcrete sampling has been a very effective exploration tool in Namibia, including in the discovery and advancement of projects such as Kokoseb, Twin Hills, and Omatjete,” O’Donovan adds.
Karibib’s soil sampling program is expected to commence in the coming weeks and will identify new targets across the project area.
Kaoko’s immediate work program includes finalisation of drilling contractor selection and mobilisation planning for Chalkos, completion of site preparation for the diamond drilling program, and commencement of maiden diamond drilling at Chalkos in approximately six weeks.
The company will also commence the comprehensive regional geochemical sampling program at Karibib and integrate soil geochemistry with existing geological, geophysical and historical exploration datasets.
Kaoko Metals is focused on unlocking large-scale copper, silver and gold opportunities in Namibia’s Damara and Kaoko belts.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Kaoko Metals
