Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 22, 2019) - Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSXV: BNCH) (OTCQB: CYRTF) (WKN: A2JM2X) (the "Company" or "Benchmark") is pleased to announce its proposed 2019 exploration program at the Lawyers Gold-Silver Project within the Toodoggone Mineral District, located on the eastern extent of the prolific Stikine Terrane that also hosts the Golden Triangle region of British Columbia, Canada. The drilling will focus on infill, step-out and deeper drilling to expand the current resources at Cliff Creek and Dukes Ridge and establish new resources at the Phoenix and AGB zones. The program will include 14,000 to 25,000 metres of drilling, 2,000 to 3,500 soil samples, 600 to 1,000 rock samples, mapping, and ground geophysics.

CEO, John Williamson, P.Geol. commented, "After a thorough review of 2018 drilling and historical results that included infill sampling of previous drilling campaigns, we believe the Lawyers Trend has potential for near 5 million gold equivalent ounces. The 2018 program expanded the Cliff Creek Zone to over 550 metre and the Dukes Ridge Zone to over 700 metre strike lengths, and mineralisation remains open in all directions. In addition, we have generated over 6 new large targets for drill testing. In 2019, we expect to generate similar results to the 2018 drill program and publish new mineral resource estimates."

Director, Michael Dufresne, P.Geol., commented, "Lawyers is a large, road accessible property with anomalous gold and silver at surface across a +20km trend. The 2018 program of in-fill sampling and initial drilling at the Lawyers Trend validated historical data and provided significant expansion results that are not included within the current mineral resource estimates. The 2018 results combined with follow-up drilling during 2019 will lead to a significant increase in the existing mineral resources at the Lawyers Project."

2019 Exploration Program

Benchmark is anticipating a June 15, 2019 start date. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the drilling will be focused on immediate resource expansion at Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge, Phoenix and AGB that are contained within a 10km2 radiometric anomaly along the Lawyers Trend. Drilling will expand and test near-surface mineralization with potential to inter-connect the current resource areas, as well as target mineralization which has been off-set by faulting across the Trend. Resource expansion drilling will target both high-grade and bulk-tonnage areas that have generated significant results including 87 g/t gold and 2,407 g/t silver across 2.4 metres (DDHCC15-15) in the Cliff Creek Zone and 5.76 g/t gold and 128.65 g/t silver across 33.52 metres (18DRRC010) in the Dukes Ridge Zone.

Twenty-five percent (25%) of the drilling will test large (+500 metre) geophysical and surface geochemical anomalies featuring radiometric, magnetic and/or airborne inductive polarization signatures that are similar to areas of known mineralization where potassic alteration and multiphase vein and breccia textures were associated with high-grade, gold-silver rock samples taken at surface. These large geophysical anomalies are potential extensions of the Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge and Phoenix zones that provided bulk-tonnage and high-grade results from the 2018 program. Two of the new targets are located within an area that is 100% owned by Benchmark.

Soil and rock sampling have proven to be effective tools to define and refine new and existing prospects so these efforts will continue proximal to existing grids but also into new areas of the Lawyers Property, which remains 80% underexplored by surface methods. A dedicated mapping team will also be active in the surface exploration to further constrain the most prospective stratigraphic horizons and mineralization-related structures in conjunction with Benchmark's age-date sampling, which is ongoing.

Drill Target Areas

The plan map shows locations for resource expansion and new target drilling over K-Radiometric geophysics.

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Plan Map

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/44203_b7fb8736e4752977_001full.jpg

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Benchmark Metals Inc.

Benchmark is a Canadian mineral exploration company with its common shares listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada, the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States and the German Stock Exchanges in Europe. Benchmark is managed by proven resource sector professionals, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from grassroots scenarios through to production.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

s/ "John Williamson"
John Williamson, Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Jim Greig, President
jimg@BNCHmetals.com
Tel: (604) 260-6977

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

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