BENTON RESOURCES CORP (BTC) PROVIDES EXPLORATION UPDATE AND EVAULATES ADVANCED PROJECTS
Thunder Bay, Ontario: Benton Resources Corp. (“Benton”) is pleased to report exploration plans for 2009.
Kingurutik Ni-Cu Property
Benton and Teck Cominco Limited (“Teck”) have recently increased their joint venture (JV) land position by 242 claims in the Kingurutik project area located 60 km north of the world class Voisey Bay copper-nickel-cobalt (Cu, Ni, Co) deposit. Teck is operator of the joint venture and is currently increasing their interest from 50% to 60% by completing $4 million in exploration expenditures. Field work completed by Teck to date has identified at least 7 priority drill targets. Further ground work is required to follow up on additional conductors identified by the airborne geophysical survey. Benton will continue to keep shareholders notified of exploration efforts on the project throughout 2009.
Saganaga Au Property
Owned 100% by Benton, the Saganaga gold project has excellent potential for a significant gold discovery. Historical drill holes on the project include intercepts of 30 gpt (grams per tonne) gold over 8.0 metres (m) from the Powell vein and up to 5.36gpt gold over 20.0m in the Starr Zone. In addition, new prospecting by Benton in 2008 led to the discovery of a new vein system (Megan Zone) where grab samples returned up to 32gpt gold. The Megan Zone has not yet been drill tested. Exploration plans for 2009 on the Saganaga property include mapping, prospecting, line cutting, ground geophysics and diamond drilling.
Forester Au Property
Owned 100% by Benton, the Forester project is situated 8km southwest of the Musselwhite Mine, owned and operated by Goldcorp Inc. The Forester claim block covers the strike extension of the iron formation that hosts the Musselwhite gold deposit. Historical diamond drilling has returned intercepts grading 12gpt gold over 1.5m. A detailed airborne magnetic survey is scheduled to be completed before the end of March and will be used to help identify potential gold bearing structural traps within the iron formation, a similar setting to the gold mineralization at the nearby Musselwhite Mine.
Bark Lake Cu-Ni-PGE Property
Benton is earning 100% interest in this project from a local prospector. Benton has identified high grade copper, nickel, and platinum group element (PGE) rich boulders on the property that returned individual assays up to 1.5% Ni, 1.2% Cu, 4.2gpt Pd (palladium) and 2.8gpt Pt (platinum) hosted within ultramafic intrusive rocks. To date the source of the high grade boulders has not been determined but the Company believes that they have been derived from within the property boundary. Benton has contracted Universal Wing Geophysics Corp headquartered in Vancouver, BC to complete a detailed airborne magnetic survey over the claim block to better define magnetic features associated with ultramafic intrusive rocks. The survey is scheduled to be started before the end of March.
Goodchild Ni Property
The Goodchild nickel project is under JV with and funded by Stillwater Mining. Benton completed the first phase of drilling in 2008 to test the highest conductance airborne anomalies. The results of the first phase drill program combined with more detailed interpretation of the airborne data suggest that the conductive responses and surface showings tested may actually be associated with hanging wall stratigraphy. A second phase drill program is currently being prepared to target geophysical responses associated with the base of the ultramafic bodies where magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE deposits are more likely to occur. The drill program is anticipated to begin in May.
Portage Lake Cu-Ni Property
Located in Central Newfoundland, Benton has a 40% JV interest with Royal Roads (40% and operator) and Golden Dory Resources (20%). The three companies have recently merged their land positions and completed a large airborne geophysical survey identifying several high priority targets and approved an exploration budget of $250,000 for follow up ground exploration and diamond drilling.
Benton’s strong financial position in the poor current market conditions allows the Company to evaluate and pursue more advanced opportunities in order to maximize shareholder value while seeking partners for some of the more early stage projects in the Company’s portfolio.
Clinton Barr (P.Geo.), V.P. Exploration for Benton Resources Corp., is the qualified person responsible for this release.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Corp.
“Stephen Stares”
Stephen Stares, President
THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.
For further information contact Stephen Stares @:
611 Montreal Street
Thunder Bay, ON P7E 3P2
Phone (807)475-7474
Fax (807)475-7200
www.bentonresources.com
Investor relations:
First Canadian Capital
Daniel Boase
Phone (416) 742 5600
Fax (416) 742 6410
