Kaoko Metals (ASX:KAO) has officially launched its maiden diamond drilling program at the flagship Chalkos copper-silver project in Namibia this week. Drilling contractor Optimine Exploration has been mobilised to site, where company management and the Namibian geological team are already overseeing operations.

Namibia has an established mining sector and is recognised as one of Africa's more stable jurisdictions for mineral exploration, host to operations spanning uranium, gold, zinc and copper.

The initial drilling campaign comprises approximately 2,000 to 3,000 metres of diamond drilling, with operations focused on the high-priority Donkey Hill and Otniel prospects.

Kaoko told shareholders that the program is designed to evaluate known outcropping copper-silver mineralisation, test down-dip and along-strike continuity, investigate depth extensions beneath surface mineralisation, and assess the structural controls governing mineral distribution across the project area.

For a junior explorer, a maiden drill program represents the first subsurface test of targets generated from prior surface sampling and mapping work, with assay results typically used to inform decisions on follow-up drilling and resource delineation.

Running concurrently with the drilling campaign, Kaoko has also commenced a detailed geological and structural mapping program on-site. Conducted with the assistance of a specialist structural geologist, the mapping work will span a 2.2-kilometre prospective corridor between Donkey Hill and Otniel. Surface mapping observations will be combined with diamond drilling data to refine the broader geological architecture and identify additional high-priority drill targets along the trend.

Gerard O'Donovan, Managing Director of Kaoko Metals, 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," O'Donovan said.

"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 added.

"Importantly, this program is only the beginning of our journey. The drilling will provide invaluable geological and structural information that will enhance our understanding of the broader mineralised system and help unlock the considerable exploration potential across the Chalkos project."

Shares in Kaoko Metals closed at 57 cents ahead of Thursday's trading session.