Mr. Stephen Stares of Benton reports

BENTON AND SOKOMAN PROVIDE EXPLORATION UPDATE ON LI / CS EXPLORATION GOLDEN HOPE JV - SOUTHWESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND

Benton Resources Inc. and Sokoman Minerals Corp. have completed 1,400 metres in 10 holes have been completed on the 50/50 Golden Hope joint venture (GHJV) targeting lithium and other critical metals. Drilling has focused on the Killick Dyke zone, where 2022 drilling returned up to 1.04% Li2O over 15.23 m, including 4.18 m of 1.48% Li2O, and 2.98 m of 1.23% Li2O in GH-22-27 and 9.50 m of 1.08% Li2O in GH-22-26. All ten holes have intersected spodumene-bearing dykes ranging from less than a metre to over 20 m thick.

Drilling will continue to test the Killick Dyke area plus any new dyke discovered in the ongoing soil geochemical and trenching program along strike to the east of the Kraken Pegmatite Field, where lithium-in-soil geochemical anomalies of similar strength to the Kraken Discovery Dyke area were found, 4 km along strike to the east of any known dykes.

The Alliance is also pleased to announce that it plans to mobilize a second diamond drill to test the Hydra (cesium/lithium/tantalum) target 10 km northeast of the Killick Dyke. Trenching is ongoing here to expose the dyke and help plan for the drilling. The Hydra Dyke is host to high-grade cesium mineralization as pollucite, as well as significant lithium, tantalum, and rubidium values with a 1.2 m channel sample from 2022 grading 8.76% Cs2O, 0.41% Li2O, 0.025% Ta2O5, and 0.33% Rb2O (news release December 1, 2022).

The Alliance has received the first batch of soil sampling results from the Hydra area which shows a significant lithium/tantalum anomaly (5 to 996 ppm Li; 5 to 141 ppm Ta) in the vicinity of the Hydra Dyke. The soil survey is continuing, using 500 m spaced lines to cover the 10 km gap between the Killick and Hydra fields crossing the favourable dyke-bearing corridor.

Stephen Stares, President and CEO of Benton, says: "We continue to be excited about the potential of the Kraken Dyke system and the new Killick Dyke zone. The rate of success in expanding the lithium zones in drilling continues to show that we are truly in a new lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) belt. We look forward to our continued success as we move the project along."

Tim Froude, President and CEO of Sokoman, says: "We are off to a great start at Golden Hope, and we expect the 5,000 m drill program to be completed before the end of summer giving us plenty of time to build on significant results and plan for additional drilling. Coupled with the ongoing soil sampling and prospecting programs, this will be a defining year for the project."

QA/QC Protocols

Rock and core samples are submitted to SGS Canada Inc. in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland for preparation and then sent to the SGS Canada Inc. analytical laboratory in Burnaby, British Colombia for analysis. All samples were acquired by hand (rocks) or saw-cut (channels/drill core) and delivered, by Benton/Sokoman personnel, in sealed bags, to the Grand Falls-Windsor prep lab of SGS, which is an accredited assay lab that conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. Samples are analyzed using SGS's GS_IMS91A50 method that delivers a 56-element package utilizing sodium peroxide fusion, ICP-AES, and ICP-MS analytical techniques. All reported assays are uncut. Soil samples were collected by Benton/Sokoman personnel utilizing a standard Dutch-auger, collecting B Horizon soil, where possible. Where B was not present, the soil horizon or type was noted. Soil samples were sent to Eastern Analytical Ltd., in Springdale, NL, for Li, Ta, Sn, and Nb analyses by four-acid digestion, analyzed by ICP-OES. Eastern Analytical Ltd. achieved ISO 17025 accreditation in February 2014 (for more details on the scope of accreditation visit the CALA website).

QP

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Stephen House, P. Geo., VP Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., and Timothy Froude, P. Geo., President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp., both 'Qualified Persons' under National Instrument 43-101.

About Benton Resources Inc.

Benton Resources Inc. is a well-funded mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BEX. Following a project generation business model, Benton has a diversified, highly-prospective property portfolio of Gold, Silver, Nickel, Copper, Platinum Group Elements, and most recently Lithium and Cesium assets. In addition, it currently holds large equity positions in other mining companies that are advancing high-quality assets. Whenever possible, BEX retains net smelter return (NSR) royalties with potential long-term cash flow.

Benton also entered into a 50/50 strategic alliance with Sokoman Minerals Inc. (TSXV: SIC) through three large-scale joint-venture properties including Grey River Gold, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland that are being explored.

About Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects: flagship, 100%-owned Moosehead, Crippleback Lake (available for option) and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project near Baie Verte in northwestern Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland, and Cononish in Scotland. The company also recently entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three large-scale joint-venture properties including Grey River Gold, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. Sokoman now controls independently and through the Benton alliance over 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1,500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, Canada's newest and rapidly-emerging gold districts. The company also retains an interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to Thunder Gold Corp (formerly White Metal Resources Inc.), and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project that has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential.

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