NewsThunder Bay ON, July 23, 2020 – Benton Resources Inc. (‘Benton’ or ‘the Company’) (TSX-V: BEX) is pleased to announce it has completed and received data from its recently flown Heliborne High-Resolution Magnetic and Time-Domain Electromagnetic Survey at the Far Lake project (the “Project”) located 80km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. A preliminary examination of the data has identified several high-priority targets associated with known Cu sulphide mineralization as well as other targets outside the main zones currently being explored within the Project. Survey data on the southern portion of the Project exhibits multiple sub-parallel conductive zones associated with gabbro, ultramafic and volcanic rocks and will be the subject of further exploration. Results from a 5km2 soil and rock geochemistry sampling program completed over the central Cu targets have also been received and analyzed interpreted by the Company. The soil survey in particular has provided a number of Cu anomalies adjacent or along strike of the Far Lake #1 and #2 structures, which have been shown to contain abundant chalcopyrite, intense silicification and often brecciation in previous work completed. In addition to Cu, there are areas of anomalous values of Mo, Ni, Pb, U and Zn in soil which will be used to target field work and help to define a geological model for the Project. The Company has initiated infill soil sampling to delineate the anomalies in greater detail and plans to expose outcrop in these new areas by mechanical stripping in the coming weeks. To date, highlights on the Far Lake #1 structure include a 0.7m channel sample across massive sulphide that assayed 22.0% Cu, 30.2 g/t Ag, and 0.25 g/t Au and another channel containing 3.54% Cu over 3.0m, including 4.96% Cu over 1.0m. Far Lake #2 is a wider structure, exhibits silicification and brecciation and contains chalcopyrite. It has seen no stripping or channel sampling and these activities will also be completed this field season.
Certain mineralization (chalcopyrite ± bornite, covellite, magnetite) and alteration (silicification, carbonate, sericite) identified to date at Far Lake displays characteristics suggestive of multiple mineralizing events and resemble certain aspects of porphyry and IOCG style alteration and mineralization. Other evidence for these models at Far Lake includes elevated rare earth and uranium geochemistry over 500m within the centre of the main magnetic high (granitic intrusive) and a moderate Zn soil geochemical anomaly surrounding the periphery of the soil survey. Benton is encouraged to have a number of additional targets resulting from systematic geochemical surveying and looks forward to continuing its exploration efforts and evaluating the potential for the discovery of a large copper system. Maps displaying the results can be viewed on the Company’s website.
Benton would also like to announce that it has selected locations for 6 short diamond drill holes at the Iron Duke gold project located 20km east of the past producing Mattabi/Sturgeon Lake base metal deposits and 30km south of the past producing St. Anthony gold mine in Northwestern Ontario. These will be drilled in conjunction with Benton’s next drill contract.