Mr. Stephen Stares reports

BENTON MOBILIZES CREWS TO COMMENCE REGIONAL EXPLORATION AND PREPARES FOR PHASE 3 DRILL PROGRAM AT GREAT BURNT COPPER-GOLD PROJECT, NEWFOUNDLAND

Benton Resources Inc. has mobilized a field crew to open the Great Burnt camp and commenced regional prospecting and soil geochemical sampling.

In addition, Benton has executed a minimum 3,000-metre drill contract with a local company, MCL Drilling from Deer Lake, Nfld., with crews expected to arrive in late May to start its phase 3 drill program. Benton anticipates that the drill program will be increased substantially as it ramps-up its exploration program.

The phase 3 exploration program will consist of:

• Regional soil geochemical sampling, prospecting and geological mapping;
• Trenching, washing, mapping and channel sampling of the Great Burnt Main and South Pond deposits;
• Trenching, washing, mapping and channel sampling an extensive number of regional targets;
• Drill testing the down plunge extents of the Great Burnt Main deposit;
• Infill drilling on the Great Burnt Main deposit;
• Drill testing the parallel plate conductor east of the Great Burnt Main deposit;
• Drill testing the South Pond deposit;
• Drill testing the South Pond B gold zone;
• Mineral deposit studies and lithogeochemical investigations in conjunction with Memorial University;
• Structural geological mapping with experienced consulting geologist;
• Continuing interpretation of historic and new geophysical data to generate targets for additional work.

Stephen Stares, president and chief executive officer, stated: "With copper prices hovering at all-time highs, this is truly an exciting time for us at Benton, as this will be our first full season of exploration at Great Burnt, and we anticipate that the coming months will continue to show the true potential of this highly prospective copper project. We will continue to update shareholders on our progress as the exploration program ramps up, as well as when drilling commences. The company is well funded to complete up to 15,000 metres of drilling on immediate targets, with plans to continue drilling based on continued success."

Highlights from Benton's first two phases of drilling include:

• GB-23-02: 13 m of 8.31 per cent copper (Cu), including three m of 12.80 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-04: 26.87 m of 7.18 per cent Cu, including 11.16 m of 10.28 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-07: 12.30 m of 7.20 per cent Cu, including seven m 10.60 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-12: 25.42 m of 5.51 per cent Cu, including one m of 8.77 per cent Cu, 82 grams per tonne (g/t) silver (Ag) and 4.43 g/t gold (Au);
• GB-23-15: 22.59 m of 5.03 per cent Cu, including 0.50 m of 20.00 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-16: 13.67 m of 5.80 per cent Cu, including one m of 20.60 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-18: 8.17 m of 4.22 per cent Cu, including 7.05 m of 4.11 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-21: 24 m of 5.81 per cent Cu, including seven m of 11.47 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-22: 21.68 m of 3.59 per cent Cu, including two m of 15.3 per cent Cu;
• GB-24-23: seven m of 2.02 per cent Cu, including four m of 3.01 per cent Cu;
• GB-24-32: 11.29 m of 3.10 per cent Cu, including 6.63 m of 5.57 per cent Cu;
• GB-24-33: 20.92 m of 2.26 per cent Cu, including 2.98 m of 4.17 per cent Cu;
• GB-24-37: 18.10 m of 1.99 per cent Cu, including 4.50 m of 7.24 per cent Cu;

Note: Widths quoted are true core length, true widths are estimated at approximately 70 per cent of core lengths

Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocols

Core and rock samples, including standards, blanks and duplicates, are submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd., Springdale, Nfld., for preparation and analysis. All samples were acquired by saw-cut (channels/drill core), with one-half submitted for assay and one-half retained for reference, or hand (rock/grab sample) and delivered, by Benton personnel, in sealed bags, to the Springdale lab of Eastern Analytical, which is an accredited assay lab that conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. Samples are analyzed using Eastern's gold fire assay at 30 grams plus ICP-34 method that delivers a 34-element package utilizing a 200-milligram subsample totally dissolved in four acids and analyzed by the ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) analytical technique. Overlimits are analyzed with Eastern's atomic absorption method, using a 0.2 g to two g of the sample, digested with three acids. All reported assays are uncut. Eastern Analytical achieved ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in February, 2014.

Qualified person

Mr. House, PGeo, vice-president of exploration for Benton Resources, the qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release, and prepared or supervised its preparation.

About Benton Resources Inc.

Benton Resources is a well-financed mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. Benton has a diversified, highly prospective property portfolio and holds large equity positions in other mining companies that are advancing high-quality assets. Whenever possible, Benton retains net smelter return (NSR) royalties with potential long-term cash flow.

Benton is focused on advancing its high-grade copper-gold Great Burnt project in central Newfoundland, which has a mineral resource estimate of 667,000 tonnes at 3.21 per cent Cu indicated and 482,000 tonnes at 2.35 per cent Cu inferred. The project has an excellent geological setting covering 25 kilometres of strike and boasts six known copper-gold-silver zones over 15 km that are all open for expansion. Further potential for discovery is excellent given the extensive number of untested geophysical targets and Cu-Au soil anomalies. The phase 1 drill program consisting of over 5,650 m, completed in November, 2023, returned impressive results, including 25.42 m of 5.51 per cent Cu, including 9.78 m of 8.31 per cent Cu and one m of 12.70 per cent Cu.

We seek Safe Harbor.