Mr. Stephen Stares reports

BENTON EXPANDS GOLD HORIZON TO 2.7 KM AND TARGETS NEW DRILL AREA AT GREAT BURNT

Benton Resources Inc. has identified a high-priority drill target, located 10 kilometres (km) south of the Great Burnt copper deposit (the SGB target area).

In addition, a full geological compilation of the South Pond deposit has been completed, outlining a continuous gold-bearing horizon over 2.4 kilometres (km). Importantly, the system remains open in all directions -- both at depth and along strike to the north and south.

Recent surface sampling to the north has confirmed a further 300 metres (m) of anomalous gold mineralization, still untested by drilling. This extends the gold horizon to 2.7 km, underscoring the scale and growth potential of the South Pond system.

At the new SGB target area, the company has identified a 500 m long conductor on the flank of a magnetic high, with associated anomalous copper and gold in soils further confirmed by till sampling. Importantly, the geophysical and geochemical signature closely resembles that of the Great Burnt and South Pond deposits, yet this highly prospective target has never been drill tested. The company is planning a trenching program followed by a two-to-three-hole diamond drill program to test the area.

In addition, work will continue at the NGB target, located between South Pond and north of the Great Burnt deposit. Previous drilling returned strong results, including GB-25-63, intersecting 5.46 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.35 per cent copper over 2.75 m, and 2.16 g/t gold and 1.09 per cent copper over 3.00 m in GB-25-59, located 50 m to the south of GB-25-63.

The company is advancing its 15,000 m property-wide drill program, with 5,080 m completed to date. The program is aimed at defining an initial gold-copper resource to complement the existing resources (see the company's news release dated Aug. 17, 2023) and demonstrate the district-scale potential.

In parallel, Benton has collected over 2,000 soil samples south of the Great Burnt deposit, now being submitted for analysis of gold (Au), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and silver (Ag).

To date, Benton has drilled 23,300 m from late 2023 to present at Great Burnt and South Pond, with some highlights listed below.

Great Burnt highlights:

• GB-23-02: 13.00 m of 8.31 per cent 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 Cu, 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 g/t Ag and 4.43 g/t 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.

South Pond highlights:

• SP-24-01: 18.80 m of 1.13 g/t Au and 5.96 m of 2.06 g/t Au;
• SP-24-03: 43.75 m of 1.62 g/t Au, including 4.00 m of 3.99 g/t Au;
• SP-24-07: 74.20 m of 1.43 g/t Au, including 8.00 m of 2.94 g/t Au;
• SP-24-08: 14.00 m of 1.23 g/t Au including 4.00 m of 2.33 g/t Au;
• SP-24-09: 24.00 m of 1.48 g/t Au, including 7.00 m of 2.03 g/t Au;
• SP-24-10: 20.00 m of 1.04 g/t Au, and 25.00 m of 1.54 g/t Au;
• SP-24-12: 27.07 m of 1.08 g/t Au, including 5.00 m of 2.11 g/t Au;
• SP-24-13: 19.75 m of 1.42 g/t Au, including 4.00 m of 3.08 g/t Au;
• SP-24-15: 22.50 m of 1.24 g/t Au, including 4.00 m of 2.08 g/t Au;
• SP-24-23: 6.75 m of 2.90 g/t Au;
• SP-24-28: 27.40 m of 1.00 g/t Au, including 3.00 m of 2.92 g/t Au;
• SP-24-30: 8.00 m of 2.07 g/t Au, including 2.00 m of 4.83 g/t Au.

Note that widths quoted are true core length; true widths are estimated at approximately 70 per cent of core lengths.

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.

QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) protocols

Core and rock samples, including standards, blanks and duplicates, are submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd., of 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 a 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. Grab samples are selective in nature and may not represent the average mineralization of a bedrock exposure.

About Benton Resources Inc.

Benton Resources 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, BEX 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 and phase 2 drill programs returned impressive results, including 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 1.43 g/t Au and 43.75 m of 1.62 g/t Au, and is open for expansion in all directions.

We seek Safe Harbor.