Kaoko Metals Hits Broad Copper Zones in First Chalkos Drill Results
Key Takeaways
- First-ever drilling at Kaoko Metals' Chalkos Copper-Silver Project in Namibia has intersected broad visible copper mineralisation in both completed holes, with DDOT002 returning 60.25m of visible copper from 36.65m depth and DDOT001 returning 51.83m from 39.27m depth.
- The strongest interval — a 32.36m zone in DDOT002 from 59.3m to 91.66m — contains visual estimates of 5–8% chalcocite, 5–8% malachite, and approximately 4% native copper, hosted across quartzite, conglomerate and siltstone.
- Assay results for both holes are pending and expected within 4 to 6 weeks, representing the next material market catalyst for Kaoko Metals (ASX: KAO).
- Three additional holes are planned or in progress at the Otniel prospect, with rig mobilisation to the high-priority Donkey Hill target — where historical surface grabs returned up to 69.6% Cu — to follow.
- The mineralisation is structurally controlled and cross-lithological, consistent with a Central African Copperbelt-style sediment-hosted system, across an 800km² largely undrilled landholding in the Kaoko Belt.
First drilling at Chalkos returns broad visible copper across two holes
Kaoko Metals (ASX: KAO) has announced the results of the first-ever drilling at its 800km² Chalkos Copper-Silver Project in Namibia, with both completed holes intersecting shallow, broad zones of disseminated visible copper mineralisation.
DDOT002 returned 60.25m of visible copper mineralisation from 36.65m depth, including 32.36m of strong visible mineralisation from 59.3m. DDOT001 returned 51.83m of visible copper mineralisation from 39.27m depth, including 17.2m of strong visible mineralisation from 58.37m.
Assay results for both holes are pending, with laboratory results expected within 4 to 6 weeks. All results reported at this stage are visual estimates only. As the company notes, visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses where concentrations or grades are the factor of principal economic interest.
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What the drill core reveals at Otniel
DDOT002 — the stronger of the two holes
DDOT002 intersected a combined 60.25m mineralised zone from 36.65m to 96.90m downhole, comprising three distinct intervals of varying intensity.
The first interval, from 36.65m to 59.3m (22.65m), is dominated by malachite and cuprite, with the strongest visual abundances occurring between 46.3m and 59.3m.
The second interval, from 59.3m to 91.66m, represents the most significant zone intersected in either hole to date. This 32.36m interval of strong visible copper mineralisation is hosted across a varied sequence of quartzite, conglomerate and siltstone. Visual estimates within this interval include:
- Chalcocite: 5% to 8%
- Malachite: 5% to 8%
- Cuprite: 1% to 3% generally
- Approximately 4% native copper within the interval from 86.4m to 91.66m, together with malachite and other copper minerals
Zones of mylonite are noted from 59.3m to 75.05m within this interval, indicating ductile deformation and shearing. The company interprets this structural deformation, both brittle and ductile, as having played a significant role in focusing fluid flow and copper deposition. A further 5.24m of visible copper mineralisation from 91.66m to 96.90m completes the broader zone. A second, lower-grade zone of cuprite and malachite was also identified from 107.7m to 125.58m (17.88m).
DDOT001 — mineralisation extending beyond 160m depth
DDOT001 intersected a combined 51.83m zone from 39.27m to 91.10m downhole across three consecutive intervals, hosted across a comparable sequence of quartzite, conglomerate and siltstone.
The first interval, from 39.27m to 58.37m (19.1m), shows malachite and chalcocite with visual estimates locally reaching approximately 2% malachite and 1% chalcocite. Increased mineralisation follows from 58.37m to 75.57m (17.2m), with malachite locally reaching 5% and chalcocite up to approximately 4%. The interval from 75.57m to 91.1m (15.53m) transitions to predominantly cuprite (up to 1%) with quartz-carbonate veining.
Notably, visible copper mineralisation persists well beyond this zone. A 37.37m interval from 125.97m to 163.34m records pervasive low-grade cuprite (locally up to approximately 2%) together with malachite and minor chalcocite, indicating copper mineralisation extends broadly through this part of the sequence at depth. True widths are not yet known; all figures are reported as downhole lengths only at this stage.
| Hole ID | Depth of first mineralisation (m) | Total visible Cu zone (m) | Strong visible Cu interval (m) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDOT001 | 39.27 | 51.83 (39.27–91.10m) | 17.2m (58.37–75.57m) | Complete |
| DDOT002 | 36.65 | 60.25 (36.65–96.90m) | 32.36m (59.30–91.66m) | Complete |
| DDOT003 | — | — | — | In progress |
| DDOT004 | — | — | — | Planned |
| DDOT005 | — | — | — | Planned |
All figures are downhole lengths. True widths are not yet determined. Visual estimates only; assay results pending.
Understanding sedimentary copper systems — why Chalkos is geologically significant
A sediment-hosted copper system forms when copper-bearing fluids migrate through porous sedimentary rock and precipitate at chemical boundaries, typically where the chemistry of the host rock changes from oxidising to reducing conditions. The copper drops out of solution and accumulates within the rock sequence, sometimes across multiple rock units rather than a single narrow vein.
Chalkos is considered analogous to the Central African Copperbelt, the copper-producing region spanning Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement notes the project is hosted by metasedimentary strata with a similar geological framework, where mineralisation appears to have formed when copper-bearing fluids interacted with reducing horizons within the stratigraphic column.
What makes the early drill results particularly encouraging from a geological standpoint is the combination of two factors. First, the mineralisation is structurally controlled: zones of mylonite (rock that has been deformed and sheared under pressure) coincide with the strongest copper intervals in both holes, suggesting that faults and shear zones acted as conduits that focused copper-rich fluid flow. Second, the mineralisation is cross-lithological, meaning it is distributed across multiple rock types, including quartzite, conglomerate and siltstone, rather than being confined to a single unit. This pattern is an early indicator that the system may be broader and more laterally extensive than a single narrow zone would suggest.
MD quote
Gerard O’Donovan, Managing Director
“This is a highly encouraging start to the first ever drilling of the 800km² Chalkos Project, and we are excited to continue drilling at both the Otniel and Donkey Hill prospects.”
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What comes next — drilling expands toward Donkey Hill
With two holes complete and assays underway, Kaoko’s immediate work programme at Chalkos includes:
- DDOT003 currently in progress, designed to test the lateral extent and along-strike continuity of mineralisation from DDOT001 and DDOT002
- DDOT004 planned to test the westward extension of the mineralised zone
- DDOT005 planned to test the southward extension
- Rig mobilisation to the Donkey Hill target following completion of the Otniel programme, a high-priority target with high-grade outcropping mineralisation
- Potential mobilisation of a second diamond rig through Optimine Exploration to support and expand the current drilling campaign
- Management returning to site in late September to assist with the ongoing programme
- Commencement of Phase 2 of the Karibib site-wide geochemical campaign
Assay results from DDOT001 and DDOT002 represent the next material catalyst for the market, expected within 4 to 6 weeks.
Donkey Hill stands out as a particularly high-priority next step. Historical surface grab samples at the prospect returned grades of up to 69.6% Cu (note: historical, non-JORC grab samples, not representative of average mineralisation). The broader strategy remains systematic exploration across Kaoko’s 800km² largely undrilled landholding in the Kaoko Belt, applying modern techniques to a tenure where known surface mineralisation represents only a fraction of what the geology may host at depth.
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