Benton Intersects 21.1 m Massive Sulphide at Great Burnt Main Zone and Cuts 12.3 m Stringer Mineralization in Footwall Zone

Thunder Bay, December 17, 2024 - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed a drill hole at the Great Burnt Main Deposit to test a parallel conductor interpreted to be a footwall zone located approximately 150 m to the east of the main deposit. All samples have been submitted to the lab, and assays are pending for this drill hole.

Given the location of the footwall conductor, the Company planned a drill hole GB-24-49 that would also serve as an infill hole within the Main Deposit and continue eastward to intersect the footwall zone. The Main deposit was intersected at 220 m down and cut 21.1 m of semi-massive to massive sulphide of high-grade copper mineralization (Images 1 & 2). The hole continued to a depth of 454 m and at 393 m, it intersected hard silicified mafic volcanics with stringer pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite (Image 3). This assemblage is very similar to the horizon that hosts the Main Deposit. The Company is excited to have confirmed and identified that a parallel, mineralized footwall horizon is present in the system and will further target this horizon in upcoming drilling.

Image 1: Drillhole GB-24-49, Main Zone

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Drilling will pause now for the Christmas Break and resume in mid-January, when it will test numerous other deep and parallel targets, aimed at expansion of the Great Burnt Deposit.

Image 2: Drillhole GB-24-49, Main Zone

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Image 3: Drillhole GB-24-49, Footwall Zone

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Benton has a 70% interest in the Great Burnt Copper-Gold Project and Homeland Nickel holds the remaining 30%, where they are funding their respective interest, with Benton as the operator.

QA/QC Protocols

Core and rock samples, including standards, blanks and duplicates, are submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd., Springdale, Newfoundland 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 (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) @ 30g + ICP-34 method that delivers a 34-element package utilizing a 200 mg subsample totally dissolved in four acids and analyzed by ICP-OES analytical technique. Overlimits are analysed 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 Ltd. achieved ISO 17025 accreditation in February 2014 (for more details on the scope of accreditation visit the CALA website).

QP

Stephen House (P.Geo.), Vice President of Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., 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 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 @ 3.21% Cu Indicated and 482,000 @ 2.35% 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% Cu, including 9.78 m of 8.31% Cu, and 1.00 m of 12.70% 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.

Website: www.bentonresources.ca
Twitter: @BentonResources
Facebook: @BentonResourcesBEX

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The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

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