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Benton and Sokoman Receive Explorer of the Year Award for the Killick/Kraken Lithium Project from the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Newfoundland and Labrador Branch

Metallurgy & Processing

Benton and Sokoman Receive Explorer of the

Year Award for the Killick/Kraken Lithium

Project from the Canadian Institute of Mining,

Metallurgy and Petroleum Newfoundland and

Labrador Branch

Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 2, 2023) -

Benton Resources Inc.

(TSXV: BEX)

("Benton") and

Sokoman Minerals Corp.

(TSXV: SIC) (OTCQB: SICNF) ("Sokoman") together, (the

"Alliance") is pleased to announce that it has received the "Explorer of the Year" award at the annual CIM

Mineral Resource Review in Newfoundland.

The award was presented by the Newfoundland and

Labrador branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.

The award is presented

to a prospector, exploration team, or company that has made a recent and significant mineral discovery;

or significantly enhanced a prospect or deposit; or identified a previously unrecognized prospective

geological environment in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Alliance has received the award due to the

ongoing success at its Killick and Kraken Lithium discovery (formerly the Golden Hope Property) which

has produced significant surface sampling and drill results up to

1.04%

Li

2

O over 15.23 m in GH-22-

27, 1.08% Li

2

O over 9.50 m in GH-22-26, 1.22% Li

2

O over 13.37 m in GH-23-45, 0.81% Li

2

O over

21.00 m, and 0.99% Li

2

O over 10.16 m in GH-23-46

. In addition, the Alliance recently executed a $24

million option agreement with Piedmont Lithium Inc. further endorsing the potential of this prospective

lithium project. (see news release dated October 11, 2023).

Stephen Stares, President and CEO of Benton stated: "We are truly thrilled to have been chosen to

receive this prestigious award and thank the CIM in Newfoundland and Labrador for this distinct honour.

We are excited about the potential of this great Lithium project and look forward to seeing it aggressively

advanced by Vinland Lithium."

From Left: Stephen Stares (Benton Resources), Timothy Froude (Sokoman Minerals Corp.),

Amy Copeland (CIM NL Branch)

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Piedmont transaction highlights:

Piedmont is one of North America's leading lithium companies

Newfoundland is ranked in the top jurisdictions to explore and develop mineral potential

Benton and Sokoman incorporated Vinland Lithium Inc. ("

Vinland

") and its wholly-owned

subsidiary Killick Lithium Inc. ("

Killick

"), into which they transferred the Golden Hope Project

Piedmont has vast technical and geological knowledge in similar geology to that of Killick

pegmatites

Piedmont financed Vinland CAD$2.0M @ CAD$1.00 per share to hold 19.9%

Piedmont will have the option to earn up to a 62.5% direct interest in Killick by spending an

aggregate CAD$12.0M in exploration and development during the option period

Upon Piedmont completing all earn-in options, Piedmont will have paid Benton and Sokoman up

to a total of CAD$10.0M in Piedmont shares

Benton and Sokoman to retain a 2% royalty on the net returns of precious metals and the value of

lithium received from Killick

Figure 1: Killick Lithium Project relative to Piedmont's asset portfolio

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The Company would also like to correct disclosure of the terms presented in its press release dated

October 30, 2023 of the option agreement with Stephen Stockley Agriculture and Fabrication Inc.

("SSAF").

The Company will pay SSAF $30,000 and issue 300,000 common shares of the Company on

the third anniversary of the effective date, not the first anniversary as was erroneously reported.

QP

Stephen House (P.Geo.), Vice President of Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., the 'Qualified Person'

under National Instrument 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news

release and prepared or supervised it's preparation.

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 mineral exploration 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.

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, 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

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.

For further information, please contact:

Benton Resources Inc.

Stephen Stares, President & CEO

Phone:

807-475-7474

Email:

[email protected]

Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO

Phone:

709-765-1726

Email:

[email protected]

CHF Capital Markets

Cathy Hume, CEO

Phone: 

416-868-1079 x 251

Email:

[email protected]

Website:

www.bentonresources.ca,

www.sokomanmineralscorp.com

Twitter:

@BentonResources

,

@SokomanMinerals

Facebook:

@BentonResourcesBEX

,

@SokomanMinerals

LinkedIn:

@BentonResources

,

@SokomanMinerals

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

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. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections,

objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may

be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause

actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including,

without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on

acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks

associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings;

risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or

development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and

uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral

deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential

for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility

that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Alliance's

expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and

uncertainties related to the Alliance's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the

Alliance's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or

should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those

described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to

forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the

Alliance does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or

circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Alliance's expectations or

projections.

East Dyke and Killick Dyke Area Drill Plan - Golden Hope JV

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Hydra Drill Plan - Golden Hope JV

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Soil Sampling Program - Golden Hope JV

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit

https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/186107