Benton Resources Inc. and Sokoman Minerals Corp., together (the “Alliance”), are pleased to announce the latest encouraging drill results and a 2022 exploration update from the Kraken Lithium Prospect on itsGolden Hope Joint Venture located in southwest Newfoundland. The Alliance is pleased to report the following from the 2022 exploration program to date: Intersection of several new spodumene-rich pegmatite dykes during the 3,073 m, 18-hole, Phase 2 Drill Program, including the East Dyke with intersections, including a 25 m-thick, spodumene-rich dyke, that carry significant grades (5.50 m at 1.16% Li2O) within a wider intersection of 20.82 m averaging 0.60% Li2O from 46.00 m downhole in drill hole GH-22-15.
Multiple spodumene-bearing dykes trenched in bedrock in the follow-up of prospecting discoveries showing lithium mineralization over a strike extent of over 2.00 km. A newly discovered cluster of spodumene-rich dykes trenched 200 m south of the East Dyke, with samples assaying up to 1.12% Li2O. This area is untested by drilling. Across the property, field prospecting data include over 30 float and bedrock sample occurrences with >1.00% Li2O over a minimum 2.20 km strike-length, many of which require follow-up evaluation. Most have not been drill tested to date.
Soil geochemistry over spodumene-bearing dykes outlines mineralization and has generated multiple targets for follow-up work. Given its effectiveness, the Alliance has launched an extensive systematic soil survey for lithium at Golden Hope. Results reported are for 13 holes (GH-22-7 through 19) testing the East Dyke area. The remaining five holes tested float and sub crop, 500 m – 1,000 m NE of the East Dyke area. These results are pending.
The East Dyke is a spodumene-rich dyke exposed for >10 m (still open) with grab sample grades of 1.93% Li2O. Drilling has confirmed the East Dyke to be part of a swarm of shallow-dipping dykes, including a 25 m-thick spodumene-rich dyke, that carries significant grades (5.50 m at 1.16% Li2O) in a much wider intersection of strong lithium grades including 20.82 m at 0.60% Li2O from 46.00 m downhole in drill hole GH-22-15. Hole GH-22-15 cut three significant spodumene-rich dykes that remain open to depth and along strike. Recent prospecting results include a 1.29% Li2O grab sample from what is believed to be the westward extension of the East Dyke 100 m west of current drilling.
Selected Drill Highlights for the East Dyke (full results at end of news release) GH-22-8: 0.92% Li2O over 8.37 m (3.25 m – 11.62 m), incl. 1.00% Li2O over 5.75 m GH-22-14: 0.63% Li2O over 4.35 m (11.00 m – 15.35 m), incl. 1.02% Li2O over 2 m and 0.56% Li2O over 10.73 m (77.00 m – 87.73 m), incl. 1.01% Li2O over 2 m GH-22-15: 0.60% Li2O over 20.82 m (46.00 m – 66.82 m), incl. 1.16% Li2O over 5.50 m, and 0.28% Li2O over 24.73 m (102.27 m – 127.00 m), incl. 0.88% Li2O over 2.18 m, and 0.64% Li2O over 2.65 m, incl. 1.11% Li2O over 0.88 m
(True thicknesses believed to be 90% of reported intervals) A newly discovered cluster of spodumene-rich dykes has been outlined by prospecting and trenching 200 m to the south of the East Dyke, with prospecting samples assaying 1.12% Li2O and additional sample results pending. This newly discovered zone is now a high-priority drill target.
Holes 20, 21, and 22 were drilled approximately 650 m to the northeast of the East Dyke area targeting angular floats of spodumene-bearing pegmatite with values up to 2.15% Li2O. Holes 20, 21, and 22 intersected pegmatite dykes with core lengths of 12.65, 7.26, and 7.16 m respectively, of what is now known as the Central Dyke. The Alliance is encouraged by this new dyke discovery, which is open in all directions and has the potential to host high-grade Li2O as evidenced by the float samples. This area is also considered a high-priority target for further drilling.
Holes 23 and 24 were drilled approximately 1,000 m to the northeast of the East Dyke area. The holes were targeting multiple angular floats of spodumene-bearing pegmatite assaying up to 1.30% Li2O. Trenching resulted in the discovery of pegmatite dykes in bedrock, with spodumene in grab samples at what is now referred to as the Northeast Dyke. Holes 23 and 24 intersected pegmatite dykes under the trenches with core lengths of 1.89 m and 1.72 m respectively. As above the Alliance is encouraged by this dyke discovery, again open in all directions, with the potential to host high-grade Li2O. Further drilling is planned for this area.
First significant lithium discovery on the Island of Newfoundland in July 2021; select grab samples returned values from trace up to 2.37% Li2O over a 2.2 km strike-length the discovery remains open with the Alliance controlling an additional 60 km of potential strike extensions. A reconnaissance drill campaign in early 2022 intersected 0.94% Li2O over 8.40 m on the Kraken Discovery Dyke.
Second drill campaign in summer 2022 (3,073 m / 18 holes) focused on the East Dyke area 600 m to the east of Kraken Discovery Dyke, intercepted multiple stacked dykes including 0.60% Li2O over 20.82 m (46.00 m – 66.82 m), incl. 1.16% Li2O over 5.50 m, incl. 1.43% Li2O over 2.68 m.
The Kraken Discovery Dyke and the East Dyke are approximately 600 m apart and are wide open for expansion with multiple untested surface dyke occurrences between them, as well as to the east, west, and north of the drill-tested showings. Lithium soil geochemistry over areas of spodumene-bearing dykes outlines the mineralization. Subsequent soil sampling along trend and to the north of the known zones has identified multiple strong lithium in soil anomalies now prioritized for prospecting. Given its effectiveness, the Alliance has launched an extensive and systematic lithium soil survey at Golden Hope.
The Alliance believes the extensive (~800 sq km) Golden Hope Project has excellent potential for additional discoveries. Exploration is still in its infancy and the Alliance has control over a district-scale lithium play similar in scale to the large systems in the Appalachians, including the important deposits held by Piedmont Lithium Inc. in the Carolinas, USA, as well as the Avalonia Project of International Lithium in a joint venture with GFL International Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. in the Caledonides of Ireland. Golden Hope lies along the prolific Appalachian-Caledonian Lithium Belt extending from the UK to the Eastern US.
Benton’s President and CEO Stephen Stares, states: “We are very pleased with our continued success at the Kraken Lithium Prospect. This is truly a rare opportunity to hold such a large land position with the potential to discover multiple new lithium zones. We’re looking forward to releasing further news as our collective exploration teams continue to advance and continue to be very excited about the potential for outlining a significant lithium deposit in Newfoundland.”
Sokoman’s President and CEO Tim Froude, comments: “The excellent results to date continue to confirm the existence of a potentially large lithium district at Golden Hope. The recently completed 3,200 m drill program returned multiple holes cutting numerous dykes with multiple sections grading in excess of 1.00% Li2O.
Today’s results compare well with projects at advanced stages of development including Sayona Mining Limited (North American Lithium Project, Quebec), and Rock Tech Lithium (Georgia Lake Project, Ontario) that use 0.60% and 0.70% Li2O as cutoff grades for open-pit constrained mineral resources in their PEA and PFS reports. We also have recently located significantly larger dykes (>20 m in width), we continue to locate more spodumene-bearing dykes and our lithium soil geochemical survey has already identified multiple targets for follow-up. This is still early days at Kraken – what the project needs is a significant diamond-drill program to assess the distribution of the lithium-bearing dykes as well as to test new targets. The true potential of this project lies in front of us.”
(Source: Press Releases – www.bentonresources.ca/benton-and-sokoman-kraken-lithium-prospect-phase-2-drill-results-exploration-update/)
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