BENTON RECEIVES SECOND OPTION PAYMENT FROM RIO TINTO EXPLORATION FOR BARIL LAKE WEST PROJECT

Thunder Bay ON, January 21, 2021 – Benton Resources Inc. (‘Benton’ or ‘the Company’) (TSX-V: BEX) is pleased to announce it has received the second anniversary option payment of $25,000 from Rio Tinto Exploration Canada (“RTEC”) for Baril Lake West project (see PR: Benton Completes Option to Purchase Deal with Rio Tinto on Baril Lake Project, dated January 2, 2019). Baril Lake West is situated approximately 4km west of Benton’s Bark Lake project, also under option to RTEC (see PR: Benton Options Bark Lake Cu-Ni-PGE Project to Rio Tinto, dated October 25, 2016), and immediately adjacent to RTEC’s Baril Lake Project where RTEC discovered significant mineralization grading 4.78%Ni and 0.43% Cu over 2.08m in 2018 (Ontario ENDM Assessment File: 200000017073). These projects are approximately 100km west of the Escape Lake and TBN projects, along the major crustal-scale, east-west oriented, Quetico fault, in which the Escape Lake and TBN projects held by Clean Air Metals Inc. are situated. While the Baril Lake West and Bark Lake projects are early stage in nature, the Company believes they have the potential to contain a magmatic conduit system that could host Cu-Ni-PGEs. At Bark Lake, numerous mineralized boulders near the Quetico Fault contain anomalous Cu-Ni-PGEs grades up to 4.35gpt Pd, 2.64gpt Pt, 0.74gpt Au, 1.2% Cu, 1.5% Ni. Drilling completed by RTEC in 2018 on the Bark Lake project encountered mineralization of 0.31% Cu and 0.72gpt Pt + Pd over 19.2m (see PR: Benton Receives Results from Rio Tinto on Bark Lake Option, dated May 25, 2018). A map showing the location of the Baril West and Bark Lake projects appears on the Benton website (www.bentonresources.ca).

 

Equity Holdings

 

Benton continues to be very excited about the future of Clean Air Metals Inc. (“Clean Air”), in which Benton holds 24.6 million shares. Clean Air has two drill rigs operating on the Thunder Bay North and Escape Lake Copper-Nickel-PGM project and has released excellent drill results from its ongoing drill campaign. Benton anticipates ongoing success for Clean Air and looks forward to future resource developments and drill results.

 

Benton also holds 4.0 million shares of Quadro Resources Ltd., which is advancing various projects in Newfoundland and Ontario. Additionally, Benton holds 3.6 million shares of Maxtech Ventures Inc. Maxtech has an Option and Joint Venture agreement on Benton’s Panama Lake gold project in the Red Lake mining region. Further, Benton holds 1 million shares of Sokoman Minerals Corp. which has recently released excellent drill results from its Moosehead Project in Newfoundland. Benton holds 1.38m shares of Metallica Metals Corp. advancing Benton’s Saganaga Gold project in NW Ontario. Benton has two NW Ontario projects optioned to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada (the Bark Lake and Baril Lake West Copper-Nickel PGE projects).

 

QP

 

Nathan Sims (P.Geo.), Senior Exploration Manager 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 (TSXV: BEX) is a well-funded Canadian-based project generator with a diversified property portfolio in Gold, Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements. Benton holds multiple high-grade projects available for option which can be viewed on the Company’s website. Most projects have an up-to-date 43-101 Report available.

 

Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact Mr. Stares at the number below.

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Stephen Stares, President & CEO

Phone: 807-475-7474

Email: sstares@bentonresources.ca

 

CHF Capital Markets

Cathy Hume, CEO

Phone: 416-868-1079 x231

Email: cathy@chfir.com