Mr. Stephen Stares reports

BENTON RECOMMENCES DRILLING AT GREAT BURNT COPPER DEPOSIT, EXTENDS SOUTH POND GOLD-COPPER ZONE TO 2.3 KM, AND DISCOVERS NEW SULPHIDE ZONE 1 KM SOUTH OF SOUTH POND

Benton Resources Inc. has recommenced drilling at the Great Burnt copper deposit (GBCD). The drilling will focus on newly identified off-hole electromagnetic conductors that are situated parallel to the main horizon, as well as below its deepest and most southern drill hole, GB 24-48. If successful in intersecting copper-rich massive sulphides, the company could substantially extend the strike length to 1,050 metres (m) from its current strike length of 850 m and demonstrate the potential for a parallel footwall horizon. Over the past 12 months, the company has conducted extensive exploration, extending and upgrading the GBCD with excellent drill results, as stated in this news release.

Highlights:

• Drilling has recommenced at the Great Burnt copper deposit to test recently identified parallel and deep EM conductors;
• South Pond gold-copper zone expanded to 2.3 kilometres (km) in length and remains open to the north and south;
• New semi-massive sulphide zone intersected one km south of South Pond;
• A further 15,000 m drill program planned for the remainder of 2024 into 2025.

Highlighted drilling from 2023-2024 programs:

• GB-23-02: 13.00 m of 8.31 per cent copper (Cu), including 3.00 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, intersecting copper rich massive sulphide, including 7.00 m 10.60 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-12: 25.42 m of 5.51 per cent Cu, including 1.00 m of 8.77 per cent Cu, 82.00 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 1.00 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: 24.00 m of 5.81 per cent Cu, including 7.00 m of 11.47 per cent Cu;
• GB-23-22: 21.68 m of 3.59 per cent Cu, including 2.00 m of 15.3 per cent Cu;
• GB-24-23: 7.00 m of 2.02 per cent Cu, including 4.00 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 that widths quoted are true core length; true widths are estimated at approximately 70 per cent of core lengths.

South Pond gold-copper zone (SPGCZ)/South Pond copper zone (SPCZ)

The company is also pleased to announce that it has extended the SPGCZ mineralization in drilling to over 2.3 km in strike length. The zone remains open to the north and south.

The SPGCZ is located approximately eight km north of the Great Burnt Lake copper deposit. The company continues to be very bullish on the plus-three-kilometre gold-copper horizon, which continues to deliver areas of wide gold with localized high-grade copper intervals. Currently, the company is evaluating the large gold-copper-bearing structure to determine its continuity along strike and at depth. The company continues to await for remaining base metal assays.

Highlights from the farthest south holes include on the SPGCZ include 1.00 g/t Au over 27.4 m, including 1.43 g/t Au over 10.00 m, including 5.90 g/t Au over 1.00 m, from SP-24-28, and 2.07 g/t Au over 8.00 m, including 3.54 g/t Au over 4.00 m, including 5.15 g/t Au over 1.00 m, in SP-24-30.

The company continues to diligently develop a strong exploration model to guide active work at the GBCD and the SPGCZ deposits. Focused field geological mapping, ground magnetics surveying, EM surveys and geophysical interpretations, jointly evaluated by Benton personnel and consulting geoscientists, Mike Cooley and Alan King, have led to the development of a new geological and geophysical model. The model suggests that the mineralized sequence is structurally thickened due to folding and/or faulting. This has resulted in a near-surface zone of thicker mineralization that may be amenable to shallow open-pit mining methods. All intersections to date at SPGZ have been shallow and less than 100 m from surface. A table of the results to date is attached, showing the mineralized zone.

New semi-massive sulphide zone

The company would also like to report that has intersected a new semi-massive sulphide zone, located where prospecting late last summer had identified copper mineralization that graded up to 1.2 per cent Cu. The new zone is located 200 m west of the historical end zone, where high-grade copper boulders were discovered and were not sourced. Assay results are pending. It is possible that this new horizon could be the source and will require further drilling.

Nickel target

Benton also completed a single drill hole to test a large magnetic anomaly associated with a mapped ultramafic (UM) unit. Unfortunately, the area lies within a wet swampy bog and the hole was too far east to reach the UM. Another hole will be planned when field conditions permit and the drill can be positioned closer to the magnetic anomaly. The UM unit is believed to be similar to that located on First Atlantic Nickel's project, located six km to the east of the Great Burnt project. Soil sampling completed by Benton has identified a large nickel anomaly associated with a magnetic high that continues for approximately eight km. Limited rock sampling has identified a large ultramafic rock unit that graded from 0.13 per cent nickel (Ni) to 0.23 per cent Ni. The magnetic anomaly is also in proximity to various EM conductors that are of interest to the company. Benton will plan diamond drilling on a few selected targets to evaluate its potential.

Benton has a 70-per-cent interest in the Great Burnt copper-gold project and Homeland Nickel holds the remaining 30 per cent, where they are financing their respective interest, with Benton as the operator.

QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) 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 sawcut (channels/drill core), with one-half submitted for assay and one-half retained for reference, or hand (rocks) 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 Au (fire assay) at 30 grams (g) plus ICP-34 method that delivers a 34-element package utilizing a 200-milligram (mg) subsample totally dissolved in four acids and analyzed by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) analytical technique. Overlimits are analyzed with Eastern's atomic absorption method, using 0.200 g to 2.00 g of sample, digested with three acids. All reported assays are uncut. Eastern Analytical achieved ISO 17025 accreditation in February, 2014 (for more details on the scope of accreditation, visit the CALA website).

QP (qualified person)

Stephen 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 is a well-financed mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BEX. 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 at 2.35 per cent Cu inferred. The project has an excellent geological setting covering 25 km of strike and boasts six known Cu-Au-Ag 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. Phase 1, 2 and 3 drill programs returned impressive results with 25.42 m of 5.51 per cent Cu, including 9.78 m of 8.31 per cent Cu, and 1.00 m of 12.70 per cent Cu. Drilling at the South Pond gold zone, approximately 7.5 km north of the Great Burnt copper-gold zone, has confirmed a robust gold-mineralized system over 2.5 km, with results of 74.20 m of 1.43g/t Au and 43.75 m of 1.62g/t Au, and is open for expansion in all directions.

We seek Safe Harbor.