Benton Resources samples high-grade copper and gold at Great Burnt, Newfoundland

Benton Resources Inc.’s [TSXV-BEX] first pass trenching and prospecting program has returned multiple high-grade copper and gold zones at surface, up to 14 km north from the Great Burnt Main zone, all part of the recently acquired Great Burnt copper-gold project in Newfoundland.

Multiple surface grab samples located on or near airborne electromagnetic (AEM) conductors have outlined three significant mineralized areas near the north end of the project, approximately 14 km north of the main Great Burnt Main zone. The surface zones were uncovered by new trenching in the vicinity of 1970s drilling that previously identified copper mineralization. Highlights of selective individual grab samples from three zones were as follows:

Zone 1 graded up to 5.51% copper (Cu), 5.03 g/t gold (Au), 14.6 g/t silver (Ag) and 0.076% cobalt (Co), and 5.67% copper, 2.65 g/t gold, 12.6 g/t silver and 0.063 per cent cobalt.

Zone 2, approximately 40 metres southeast in the same trench, graded 2.74% copper, 6.34 g/t gold, 10.4 g/t silver and 0.02% cobalt, and 4.86% copper, 1.64 g/t gold, 11 g/t silver and 0.030 per cent cobalt.

Zone 3, approximately 35 metres south, graded 1.64% copper, 5.92 g/t gold, two g/t silver and 0.023% cobalt.

Several other samples have identified highly anomalous copper zones along a 4.0km trend with grades up to 1.26 per cent copper.

The company will proceed to enlarge the exposures of selected mineralized zones to permit geological mapping and channel sampling as much as possible as weather permits.

The company has also increased its ongoing drill program from 4,000m to a minimum of 5,000m and continues its extensive compilation of historical data, ongoing prospecting and soil geochemical sampling to the north of the Great Burnt Main Zone.

Drilling from 2016 to 2023 at Great Burnt Copper-Gold Project: The Great Burnt Main Zone has an NI 43-101 compliant resource prepared in 2022 for Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd. by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. of 667,000 Tonnes (47.2 Mlb) Cu at 3.21% (indicated) and 482,000 Tonnes (25.0 Mlb) Cu at 2.35% (inferred), contained within mining lease 211(10210M). The copper resource remains open to the south and at depth.

Highlights of the previous drill programs and previously released results from the current program include: GB20-05 that returned 27.20 metres of 8.06% Cu, including 7.75 metres of 16.88 per cent Cu; GB20-20 with 22.75 m of 6.89% Cu, including 12.55 m of 10.59% Cu; GB18-05 with 20.94 m of 6.21% Cu, including 6.98 m of 10.71% Cu; GB18-06 with 9.97 m of 7.45% Cu, including 5.03 m of 11.42% Cu; GB16-08 with 7.50 m of 9.45% Cu, including 3.00 m of 19.30% Cu; GB16-09 with 5.75 m of 6.68% Cu, including 1.50 m of 11.70% Cu; GB23-01 with 3.25 m of 4.13% Cu and 4.30 m of 8.01% Cu (Benton 2023 drill hole); and GB23-02 with 13.0 m of 8.31% Cu including 3.0 m of 12.80% Cu (Benton 2023 drill hole).

Exploration at the South Pond Zone has identified potential for both copper and gold along several kilometres of strike. Highlights of the 2021 drill program include SP21-01 with 1.69 g/t Au over 51.00 m, including 3.19 g/t Au over 11.00 m, within 10 m of surface;- SP21-03 with 2.36 g/t Au over 15.00 m, including 11.33 g/t Au over 1.00 m; SP21-08 with 1.75 g/t Au over 21.20 m, including 2.82 g/t Au over 10.20 m; SP21-11 with 1.34 g/t Au over 17.60 m, including 2.48 g/t Au over 4.20 m; and SP21-14 with 2.06 g/t Au over 21.00 m and SP21-16 with 1.72 g/t Au over 10.00 m.

Widths quoted are core length, true widths are estimated at approximately 70% of core lengths.