Sokoman Minerals Corp. [SIC-TSXV; SICNF-OTCQB] and Benton Resources Inc. [BEX-TSXV] have completed approximately 3,500 metres in 19 holes on the 50-50 Golden Hope joint venture (GHJV), targeting lithium and other associated critical metals, southwest Newfoundland.
Drilling has focused on the Killick zone, where 2022 drilling returned up to 1.04% Li2O over 15.23 metres, including 4.18 metres of 1.48% Li2O, and 2.98 metres of 1.23% Li2O in GH-22-27 and, 9.50 metres of 1.08% Li2O in GH-22-26. Drilling continues to intersect spodumene-bearing dykes ranging from less than a metre to greater than 20 metres thick.
The Alliance is pleased to report that assays have been received for 11 of the 19 drill holes completed at the Killick Zone with results up to 1.22% Li2O over 13.37 metres in GH-23-45 and separate intervals of 0.81% Li2O over 21.00 metres and 0.99% Li2O over 10.16 metres in GH-23-46. Holes 45 and 46 were drilled 30 metres south along strike of holes 25 and 26 where multiple spodumene-bearing dykes were intersected. The Killick Zone remains open along strike in both directions and to depth.
Drilling will continue to test the Killick dyke area plus any new dykes discovered in the ongoing soil geochemical/trenching program 4 km 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 are located.
The Alliance is also pleased to announce that it has mobilized a second diamond drill to test the Hydra (cesium/lithium/tantalum) target 10 km northeast of the Killick zone. Trenching is ongoing to expose the dyke and help plan the drilling. The Hydra dyke is host to high-grade cesium mineralization in pollucite, as well as significant lithium, tantalum, and rubidium values with a 1.2-metre channel sample from 2022 grading 8.76% Cs2O, 0.41% Li2O, 0.025% Ta2O5, and 0.33 % Rb2O.
The Alliance is also continuing with its regional-scale prospecting/sampling program using 200 to 500-metre spaced lines over the favourable dyke-bearing corridor, covering the 10-km gap between the Killick and Hydra dyke fields, and also extending the survey 20 km to the NE. 1,430 B-Horizon soil samples have been collected in 2023 and submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd. in Springdale NL for lithium analysis.
Sokoman’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) 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. 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.
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.
