Mr. Stephen Stares reports

BENTON DRILLS 7.25% CU OVER 4.50 M INCLUDING 18.65% CU OVER 1.10 M AT GREAT BURNT COPPER DEPOSIT; APPOINTS ALAN KING AS ADVISOR TO THE COMPANY AND PROVIDES UPDATE

Benton Resources Inc. has received further high-grade copper results from the Great Burnt copper deposit in Newfoundland, further delineating the high-grade copper core. In addition, the company's continuing efforts and interpretation of the recently completed downhole geophysical program have confirmed a highly conductive anomaly extending to the south and along strike from hole GB-24-34. This high-priority target has been selected for drilling in the next phase of the drill program. The survey's success will assist in identifying and prioritizing other targets on a regional scale as the summer exploration season ramps up.

Holes GB-24-36 and GB-24-37 were infill drill holes near the centre of the deposit in larger gaps that continue to confirm significant copper mineralization in the Main zone. GB-24-37 returned 1.99 per cent copper (Cu) over 18.10 metres, including 7.25 per cent Cu over 4.50 m and 18.65 per cent Cu over 1.10 m. GB-24-36 also cut a wide interval of copper with 1.28 per cent over 13.34 m, including 3.17 per cent over 1.50 m.

GB-24-35 was drilled approximately 20 metres down dip below GB-24-34 which previously reported 1.75 per cent Cu over five m, including 4.02 per cent Cu and 1.68 per cent zinc (Zn) over one m. GB-24-35 cut several small zones of semi-massive and stringer sulphides believed to be near the bottom of the VMS (volcanogenic massive sulphide) system where anomalous values grading 0.24 per cent Cu over 1.40 m and 0.40 per cent Cu over 0.75 m were obtained. The company is planning to drill the zone up dip in the next drill program.

Corporate update

The company would also like to announce the appointment of Alan King to its advisory board. Mr. King received a BSc in geology from the University of Toronto in 1976 and an MSc in geophysics from Macquarie University in 1989. From 1976 to 1990, he worked as a geophysicist in exploration and resource development in Canada and Australasia. From 1990 to 2012, he was employed by Inco/Vale as a senior geophysicist and then as manager of geophysics with responsibility for global exploration.

As chief geophysicist for Vale Global Exploration, Mr. King worked on geophysical applications for base metals, iron, manganese, coal and fertilizers (potash and phosphate), as well as target generation using regional and global data sets. Mr. King is currently working as a consultant with his own company, Geoscience North.

His professional interests include the use of geophysics, new technology (and ideas) and data integration in exploration, mining, environmental, geotechnical and other applications. Pursuant to this appointment, the company has granted 150,000 incentive stock options to Mr. King at an exercise price of 20 cents for a period of five years from the date of grant. The options are subject to the vesting provisions contained within the company's stock option plan.

Stephen Stares, president and chief executive officer of Benton, stated: "We are pleased to welcome Alan to Benton's advisory board. His invaluable experience and expertise will be critical to helping Benton advance the Great Burnt deposit forward. Since we acquired the project in late 2023, we continue to have tremendous success. From intersecting significant grades and thicknesses, discovery of new high-grade surface samples, to identifying new geophysical targets, it's truly been a pleasure to explore this highly prospective property. With each step forward, it is becoming apparent that Great Burnt will deliver further positive and exciting results as we move into the next phase of work. This program will commence with drilling at the South Pond area where there's significant copper and gold historically and in recent sampling, followed by drilling new EM [electromagnetic] targets as well as deeper drilling on the Great Burnt deposit to the south."

In addition, the company is pleased to announce that it has received TSX Venture Exchange approval for its previously announced non-brokered private placement (see company news releases dated April 3 and April 12, 2024) and has closed the financing accordingly. The company issued 15,755,334 units at a price of 15 cents per unit, each unit consisting of one common share of the company and one-half of a common share purchase warrant, with each full warrant entitling the holder to acquire an additional common share of the company at 22 cents for a period of 24 months from the date of issue for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,363,300. In connection with the financing, the company paid $132,213 in cash finders' fees and issued 881,420 finders' warrants exercisable at 22 cents for 24 months from the date of issue. All securities issued pursuant to the private placement are subject to a four-month hold period.

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 35-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

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 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 from hole GB-23-12.

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