Cardero Engages Market-Maker

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2018) - Cardero Resource Corp. (TSXV: CDU) (FSE: CR5) ("Cardero" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that they have retained Trapeze Capital Corp. to provide trading (market-making) services to the Company with respect the Company's common shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V"). Under the terms of an issuer trading services agreement dated as of March 8, 2018 (the "Agreement"), Trapeze will receive compensation of $5,500 per month (plus applicable taxes) payable in cash, from the Company's working capital account. The capital required for the acquisition of any of the Company's common shares and any corresponding trading activity undertaken by Trapeze will be provided by Trapeze, acting as principal. The Agreement is subject to acceptance by the TSX-V and is for an initial term of 180 days and will automatically renew for additional 180 day periods unless terminated by the Company or Trapeze.

Trapeze and the Company are unrelated entities. Trapeze is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, a participating organization of the Toronto Stock Exchange and a member of the TSX-V.

ABOUT CARDERO RESOURCE CORP.

Cardero Resource Corp., headquartered in Vancouver, is a resource company focussed on building a minerals exploration and development company. Cardero has the exclusive option to acquire up to a 100% interest in the Zonia Copper Oxide Project, located in Arizona. Zonia is a near-surface copper-oxide resource and a brownfields site having already been mined in the late 1960s and '70s.

The entire resource (NI 43-101 as amended and dated October, 2017), as currently defined, is located on private land and Cardero's plan going forward is to complete detailed engineering in anticipation of permitting the Project. The Company engaged Global Resource Engineering of Denver Colorado to prepare a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), the results of that PEA are in the Company's news release NR 18-4 dated March 6, 2018.

In September 2016, Cardero completed staking a total of 57 claims, the Silver Queen block, covering 424.5 hectares (1,049 acres) adjacent to the southeast edge of Zonia.

The Company also has two option agreements covering five nickel-cobalt properties in south eastern British Columbia the, Kootenay Project totalling approximately 8,000 hectares. The Project is within the prospective Lardeau Group, which hosts numerous volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, including the past-producing Goldstream mine located north of Revelstoke.

Detailed information is available at the Company's web site at www.cardero.com.

The common shares of the Company are currently listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (symbol CDU), the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (symbol CR5) and OTCBB (symbol CDYCF). For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.cardero.com), Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of
CARDERO RESOURCE CORP.

"Stuart R. Ross" (signed)

Stuart R. Ross, CEO and President

Contact Information:

Stuart Ross or Marla Ritchie
604 408 7488

General Contact:

Email: info@cardero.com
Toll Free: 1-888-770-7488
Tel: 604 408-7488
Fax: 604 408-7499

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Forward Looking Information: This news release includes certain information that may be deemed "forward looking information". Forward-looking information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. All information in this release, other than information of historical facts, including, without limitation, the potential of the Kootenay project, general future plans and objectives for the Kootenay project, the availability of financing to the Company and the Company's plans in relation to exploration programs and exercising its options regarding the Kootenay project are forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in such forward-looking information are based on reasonable assumptions, such expectations are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information include changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, delays in receiving approvals, and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For more information on the Company and the risks and challenges of our business, investors should review our continuous disclosure filings which are available at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.