18 April 2011                                                                                                 

Kent updates drilling at Alexander River Gold Project applies for exploration permit

Kent Exploration Inc. (the "Company" or "Kent") reports that due to encouraging results from its 2010 - 2011 work program that generally supports the potential of the Alexander River Project to host economic gold mineralization, it has applied to Crown Minerals New Zealand for an Exploration Permit over a portion of its current Prospecting Permit in order to conduct in depth exploration activities. The 2,669 ha Alexander River Gold Project is approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Reefton, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand.

During the 2010 - 2011work program, the Company's geological consultants, under the direction of Dr. Clay Conway, Ph.D. P.Geol., followed up the work, including an IP survey, conducted by the Company in early 2010 where significant assays, as previously reported from trenching and sampling, included trench "F", 3.2m at 24.6 g/t Au including 1.9m at 40.38 g/t Au, trench "A", 6.4m at 6.87 g/t Au including 3.2m at 12.91 g/t Au, trench "K", 8m at 10.56 g/t Au including 2.9m at 20.2 g/t Au, and trench "M", 12.8m at 4.5 g/t Au including 4.1m at 9.13 g/t Au.

The recent work program consisted of detailed geological and structural mapping in conjunction with trenching over mapped soil anomalies and sampling along and parallel to the known mineralized zone. Trench 11-3 tested a soil anomaly approximately 200 meters to the north of the known mineralized zone, where sampling along a 6.4-meter interval identified anomalous gold grading an average of 0.48 g/t Au.

Highest assays were returned from samples near old workings and one sample from Mullocky creek, to the northeast along strike from the workings, assayed 3.53 g/t Au. Sample AX001 was taken approximately 50 m northwest of the main Bruno trend in close proximity to trench 11-3. The results are tabulated below.

The up to 3,000 meter minimum impact diamond drill program, that is currently underway, is targeting areas identified by the IP survey that appear to conform in part to the mineralized trend but also identify broad parallel areas.  The diamond drilling is testing the IP anomalies, gold soil anomalies, and zones at depth beneath old workings. Historically gold was produced only from gold veins at approximately 27.68 g/t Au (0.86 ounces/tonne).  Previous and current exploration, including drilling, shows that gold mineralization extends considerably beyond the quartz veins in general association with pyrite and arsenopyrite.  The current diamond drill program is projected to continue until late fall.

At the Alexander Gold Project, trenches and adits are located intermittently along a gold-mineralized trend over a strike length of approximately 1.2 km, above or within a series of pre-1943 mine workings. A less explored mineralized zone is estimated to extend north-easterly for an additional 1.3 km.

Alexander River Exploration Background

The 2,669-hectare Alexander River gold prospect encompasses the historic Alexander gold mine, which reportedly produced 41,091 ounces of gold from 47,726 tonnes of quartz prior to closing in 1943 due to war induced labor shortages.

In 1988, CRA cleared and sampled historic trenches and adits.  The project was later acquired from CRA by Macraes Mining.  Based on CRA's data and limited drilling, Macraes Mining identified an auriferous halo of sulphide-hosted mineralization which exists around the early mined quartz veins with a resource potential of approximately four million tonnes grading more than five grams per tonne gold, for approximately 643,000 ounces of gold,  as reported in a report filed with Crown Minerals NZ in 1993.  Subsequently, Macraes carried out mapping, rock chip sampling, and a limited amount of drilling from the Level 6 workings. 

The Company advises that a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as a current mineral resource and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as a current mineral resource and the historical estimates should not be relied upon.

Frankfurt Exchange

The Company reports it is now trading on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol 7KX

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Kent Exploration Inc. is a junior exploration company that has an approximate 35% interest in, and is the controlling shareholder of, Archean Star Resources Inc, ("Archean") which is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ASP.  Archean's wholly owned subsidiary, Archean Star Resources Australia, Pty, Ltd, ("ASRA") has an Option Agreement, subject to a 75% back in right, to earn 100% of Teck's interest in Chalice Gold Mines Limited's Gnaweeda Gold Project in West Australia.  The Company has also acquired the Alexander River, Paparoa and Lyell gold projects in the highly prolific Reefton gold field in New Zealand.

The Company has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Silver Hills property, a silver/ lead/ zinc prospect in south-eastern British Columbia,  The Company has a 100% interest in Coal Prospecting Permits covering approximately 92,000 ha in east-central Saskatchewan, a 100% interest in a mining lease option on the Flagstaff Mountain property, a fully permitted mine which is approved to produce up to 100,000 tons of barite per year, a gold/silver/zinc/barite prospect in eastern Washington state, a 100% interest in the mining lease option on the Ivanhoe Creek property, a Midas-style gold/silver target in Nevada's Carlin Trend, and 50% of a 100% interest in the Ivanhoe Creek placer claims covering a bentonite deposit.

This News Release has been prepared on behalf of the Kent Exploration Inc. Board of Directors, which accepts full responsibility for its contents.  The content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Marvin A. Mitchell, P. Eng. A qualified person as defined by National Instrument NI-43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Graeme O'Neill"

Graeme O'Neill, President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), has reviewed, nor do they accept responsibility for, the adequacy or accuracy of this news release