Vancouver, B.C., February 01, 2023. PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSX-V: POR) (OTCQB: PFFOF) (FSE: POTA) (“Portofino” or the “Company”) announces summary updates of its key projects and 2023 plans and objectives.

Arizaro lithium Project, Salta (Argentina):
Portofino management and the state-owned mining company of the Province of Salta (“REMSA”), continue to work together within the framework of the previously executed MOU agreement. Management has prepared and filed a “private initiative” (joint venture proposal) pursuant to the Provincial Mining Law regarding an 8,445-hectare property within the Arizaro salar (the “Arizaro Project”). The Arizaro Project is in close proximity to multiple world-class salar lithium projects including near-term production projects operated by Ganfeng Lithium, Rio Tinto and French mining conglomerate, Eramet. In addition, junior explorer, Lithium Chile Inc. has reported a high-grade resource on an adjacent property.

Portofino has financed a reconnaissance mapping, surface sampling, and surface trenching sampling program as well as a geophysical survey as part of its commitment to REMSA pursuant to its MOU agreement. Initial sampling and geophysical surveying feedback indicate the property hosts a deep lithium bearing aquifer, similar in nature to other operators within the Arizaro salar region. The Company will report results when available.

2023 NEXT STEPS: Management believes the private initiative process could be finalized in Q2-2023.

Yergo lithium Project, Catamarca (Argentina):
In September 2022, the Company reported that it had received a Notice of Termination from Fabian Bertetto, the claim owner and optionor (the “Optionor”) of the Yergo Project in Catamarca, Argentina. The Company rejected the purported termination as baseless and having no merit whatsoever. Pursuant to the Company’s filing and request, an injunction has been granted by the Mining Court for the Province of Catamarca (the “Court”) against the Optionor. The injunction has also been filed and accepted by the Provincial Ministry of Mining. The Company views this a positive development as: (i) prima facie, the Court’s Judge considers Portofino's position to have reasonable grounds under Argentine Law; and (ii) the injunction legally prohibits the Optionor from entering into any form of alternative transaction regarding the Yergo Project.

The Company has worked closely with the Catamarca Ministry’s of Environment and Mining for more than 18 months on the development of an environmentally and socially responsible exploration plan for inclusion in its drill permit application. Portofino completed all required work to advance the Yergo project from a pure greenfield property to one that has the potential to deliver significant value to the Province of Catamarca, the Optionor and Portofino.

Portofino previously completed and reported results of a geophysical survey which identified 2 large, aquifers within the project measuring approximately 2.3km x 1km and 1.8km x 2.5km (News Releases | Portofino Resources Inc.) as well as surface sampling programs which have returned values up to 373 mg/l Lithium and has advanced the project to a drill-ready stage.

The project is approximately 15 kilometers from the 3Q property boundary, which was previously owned and explored by NeoLithium Corp., and acquired by Zijing Mining for $960M in 2022.
( Key Projects-Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. )

2023 Next Steps: Formal and informal avenues of dispute resolution are currently being pursued. While the Company would welcome an informal commercial resolution to the issues created by the Optionor, it anticipates a formal adjudication from the Court will be required. Any material developments will continue to be reported on a timely basis.

Allison Lake North Lithium Project, Northern Ontario:
In late September 2022, Portofino’s geological team completed a reconnaissance and sampling program on Portofino's newly acquired claims near the southwestern contact of the Allison Lake Batholith, as well as additional sampling on the main claim group. The new claims are located just west and proximal to the SJ Pegmatite which is described in a 2003 Ontario Geological report as hosting ‘economically interesting' rare-element mineralization. In total, 28 grab samples and 23 select channel samples were collected, many of those from undocumented pegmatites within metasediments. Values of up to 230 ppm Lithium ("Li") were reported (News Releases | Portofino Resources Inc.) within metasediments adjacent to these undocumented pegmatite dykes, and up to 622 ppm Rubidium ("Rb") within pegmatite. Of significance were a few Magnesium/Lithium ratios in between 1 and 5 which signify highly evolved pegmatites and are good indications that these pegmatites are likely to be lithium bearing.

Initial grab and channel samples by Portofino on the Allison Lake Project in 2021 returned up to 398 ppm Li, 90.5 ppm Cesium ("Cs"), 1040 ppm Rb and 135 ppm Tantalum ("Ta") (News Releases | Portofino Resources Inc.). Additional sampling in the fall of 2021 returned elevated channel sample values up to 412 ppm Li and 857 ppm Rb (News Releases | Portofino Resources Inc.). In January 2023, Portofino filed an independent National Instrument 43?101 (“43-101”) technical report for the Allison Lake Property (News Releases | Portofino Resources Inc.).

2023 Next Steps: Portofino expects to follow-up previous exploration success with an additional sampling and pegmatite dyke exploration program in the spring. In addition, the Company is actively engaged with several groups interested in partnering on the Allison Lake Project and the Company will news release any material developments.

Five Gold Projects, Northern Ontario:
Within the historically prolific gold producing Red Lake and Atikokan regions of Northwestern Ontario, the Company has 5 exploration stage projects. Two projects that are drill-ready include the Gold Creek project (Gold Creek Property | Portofino Resources Inc.)(near Agnico Eagle’s Hammond Reef Project); and South of Otter project (South of Otter, Red Lake Property | Portofino Resources Inc.) (near Great Bear Resources which was acquired in 2022 for $1.4B.) (Kinross completes acquisition of Great Bear Resources - Kinross Gold Corporation).

2023 Next Steps: With a recently improved investor sentiment toward gold, the Company is contemplating several possible transactions regarding its gold project portfolio. Opportunities that are beginning to present themselves include monetizing one or more assets, forming joint ventures and spinning-out the gold projects into a new entity in order to enhance shareholder value.

Qualified Person
Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

About Portofino Resources Inc.

Portofino is a Vancouver-based Canadian company focused on exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas. Portofino has an opportunity to earn a majority interest in multiple lithium projects in Salta, Argentina and up to 100% of the Yergo Lithium property in Catamarca. The properties are situated in the heart of the world-renown Argentine Lithium Triangle and in close proximity to multiple world-class lithium projects. The Company also has the right to earn 100% interest in three northwestern Ontario, Canada lithium projects: Allison Lake North, Greenheart Lake and McNamara Lake.

Portofino’s South of Otter and Bruce Lake projects are in the historic gold mining district of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada proximal to the Dixie gold project discovered by Great Bear Resources and now owned by Kinross Gold Corp. In addition, Portofino holds three other northwestern Ontario gold projects; the Gold Creek property located immediately south of the historic Shebandowan mine, as well as the Sapawe West and Melema West properties located in the rapidly developing Atikokan gold mining camp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“David G. Tafel”