Sokoman and Benton Report Kraken Lithium Discovery Best Drill Intercepts to Date

Soil sampling expands footprint.

GH-22-27 cuts 15.23 m @ 1.04% Li₂O; including 4.18 m @ 1.48% Li₂O

ST. JOHNS, NL / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2023 / Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV:SIC)(OTCQB:SICNF) ("Sokoman") and Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV:BEX) ("Benton") together, (the "Alliance") are pleased to report the final assays from the Phase 3 drill program, completed in December 2022, on the Golden Hope Joint Venture. The drilling totalled 1,607 m in 11 drill holes including initial drilling on the Killick Zone (see October 18, 2022, and November 30, 2022 news releases), the Kraken Dyke and the Kraken West Dyke.

All three holes drilled at the Killick Zone (GH-22-25 to 27) gave the best lithium intersections on the project to date as follows:

• GH-22-25 - multiple spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes with 14.74 m of 0.64% Li₂O, including 5.73 m of 0.92% Li₂O
• GH-22-26, 26 m behind GH-22-25 - multiple spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes with 9.5 m of 1.08% Li₂O, including 2.15 m of 2.01% Li₂O
• GH-22-27, 30 m N of holes 25 and 26 along strike - 15.23 m of 1.04% Li₂O, including 4.18 m of 1.48% Li₂O and 2.98 m of 1.23% Li₂O.

The Killick Zone remains open in all directions.

Six holes tested the Kraken Discovery Zone (see Figure 1) (see June 30, 2022 news release) with three, GH-22-28, 29, and 35 intersecting multiple spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes, including 2.10 m of 1.02% Li₂O in hole GH-22-28, 2.10 m of 1.18% Li₂O in hole GH-22-29 and 1.50 m of 1.25% Li₂O in hole GH-22-35.

Two drill holes on the Kraken West Dyke and one hole on the Kraken Discovery Zone had no visible spodumene, with only narrow (<1 m) pegmatite dykes in hole GH-22-30. A summary of the results follows in Table 1, drill locations are shown in Figure 1, cross-sections in Figures 2 and 3 and lithium-in-soil data in Figure 4.

Soil geochemistry continues to expand the overall footprint of potential lithium- (+/- cesium, tantalum and rubidium) enriched dykes at least 2,000 m to the northeast of the known mineralization at the Killick Zone (see Figure 4). Soil anomalies in lithium are of a similar tenor (less than detection limit to 390 ppm Li) to those over known mineralization that have recently been received and are priority prospecting targets for this spring.

A minimum 5,000 m Phase 4 drill program is planned to begin in early spring along with continued prospecting, geological mapping, and soil geochemistry to continue through 2023.

Table 1 - Summary of Drill Results - Phase 3 drilling

* Core lengths - true thickness believed to be 90% of core lengths
NVS - no visible spodumene
NDI - no dyke (pegmatite) intersected

Figure 1 - Golden Hope Project - Plan Map GH-22-25 to GH-22-35

Figure 2 - Killick Zone Drill Section 5299206N - Holes GH-22-25 and GH-22-26

Figure 3 - Killick Zone Drill Section 5299242N - Hole GH-22-27

Figure 4 - Golden Hope Project - Lithium in Soils Map

The Alliance has applied for a drill permit for the newly discovered Hydra Zone, where a cesium +/-lithium/tantalum/rubidium-rich dyke was discovered in late 2022, 12 km to the northeast of the Kraken Dyke Swarm. Channel sampling of the dyke gave values of 1.20 m @ 8.76% Cs₂O, 0.405% Li₂O, 0.025% Ta₂O₅, and 0.33% Rb₂O incl. 0.40 m @ 13.57% Cs₂O, 0.316% Li₂O, 0.012% Ta₂O₅, and 0.38% Rb₂O. Recentcesium, lithium, tantalum, and rubidium results extend the cesium-rich dyke(s) to at least a 60 m strike length, remaining open to the north, south, and to depth. Results of three grab samples of coarse-grained pegmatite, located up to 40 m to the north of the channel samples, ranged from 133 to 4,210 ppm Cs, 53 to 852 ppm Li, 71 to 98 ppm Ta, and 201 to 3,410 ppm Rb.

Tim Froude, President and CEO of Sokoman, says: "We are very pleased with the latest results from the Golden Hope JV. Killick is turning into an interesting and higher-grade zone and combined with the soil geochemical results, this means we still do not know the full extent of the lithium and other critical minerals potential on this property. It remains entirely possible that the best mineralization may be as yet untouched, and we look forward to an exciting year at Golden Hope."

Stephen Stares, President and CEO of Benton, says: "Benton is extremely pleased with the new results, especially with the new Killick discovery, which is wide open for expansion in every direction. To date, every drill program has been very successful and has provided excellent information that continues to guide us into the next drill phase and exploration follow-up. We are looking forward to our upcoming spring-summer program and the potential of our continued success in discovering these critical metals."

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. All samples submitted were taken or saw cut by Sokoman personnel and delivered in sealed bags directly to the Grand Falls-Windsor prep lab by Sokoman personnel. SGS Canada Inc. (SGS) 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 Sokoman/Benton personnel utilizing a standard Dutch-auger collecting B Horizon soil where possible. Where B was not present, the material collected was noted. The soil samples were sent to Eastern Analytical Ltd., in Springdale, NL, for Li, Ta, Sn and Nb assaying by a four-acid digestion and analyzed by ICP-OES. Eastern Analytical Ltd. in February 2014 achieved ISO 17025 accreditation (for more details on the scope of accreditation visit the CALA website).

QP

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

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 (optioned to Trans Canada Gold Corp.) and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project in northwestern Newfoundland, which 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 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.

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 recently 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 now being explored.

For further information, please contact:

Sokoman Minerals Corp.
Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO
Phone: 709-765-1726
Email: tim@sokomanmineralscorp.com

Benton Resources Inc.
Stephen Stares, President & CEO
Phone: 807-475-7474
Email: sstares@bentonresources.ca

CHF Capital Markets
Thomas Do, IR Manager
Phone: 416-868-1079 x 232
Email: thomas@chfir.com

Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com, www.bentonresources.ca
Twitter: @SokomanMinerals, @BentonResources
Facebook: @SokomanMinerals, @BentonResourcesBEX
LinkedIn: @SokomanMinerals, @BentonResources

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The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. A