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Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 26, 2026) - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company will purchase a 100% interest in additional claims from Herb and April Froude, arm's-length prospectors, which will be added to the original option agreement dated November 25, 2024 (see news release dated November 28, 2024). Subject to regulatory approval, the Company will make a one-time cash payment of $3,000 and issue 20,000 common shares. The additional land includes 3 licences totalling 36 claim units covering favourable VMS and gold geology and lies strategically adjacent to the Company's Dominion land position.

The Company has established exploration accommodations, mobilized crews and have been working for the past 3 weeks. Prospecting and soil sampling are ongoing and trenching priority target areas will commence shortly.

Target areas include:

• A new gold Zone at Bear #3 of with grab samples up to 10.8 g/t Au
• The Rickirb gold zone with grab samples up to 6.41 g/tAu received over 200 m of intermittent bedrock exposure
• The Trinity Base MetalZone with surface samples returning assays up to 14.6% Zn, 1.31% Pb, 2.53% Cu and 68.7g/t Ag and 0.17 g/t Au
• The Bear Alteration Zone is a broad, multi-target alteration zone with several base metal subcrop and float occurrences with associated geochemical and geophysical anomalies. At one location, historical drill hole BA-00-01 cut high grade massive sulphides assaying 6.90% Zn, 8.90% Pb, 0.68% Cu and >6.0 g/t Ag over 0.16 m (Kelmet Resources Ltd. 2001 Assessment Report, Newfoundland Department of Industry, Energy and Technology Geofile 012A_0998). Also at Bear #2, a high-grade float sample returned 19.2% Zn, 0.09% Cu, 2.26% Pb, 80.9 g/t Ag and 2.27 g/t Au with an associated VLF anomaly to the immediate north
• The Big Kahuna Search, two new areas of massive sulphides to be stripped
• The Costigan Lake area, a zone of altered felsic volcanics with multiple VLF and AEM conductors. Recent Benton prospecting returned float in the area assaying 1.25% Zn and 10.7 g/t Ag

The Company is also planning prospecting and soil sampling in the area where highly anomalous and significant copper and zinc values were intercepted in historical drill hole HRP-08-01. The drill hole cut 1.5 m grading 1.02% Cu, 1.83% Zn and 10.5 g/t Ag starting at a shallow depth of 48.3 m and is wide open for further drilling (Royal Roads Corporation 2008 Assessment Report, Newfoundland Department of Industry, Energy and Technology Geofile Number 12A/1491). This hole is located approximately 1,500 m southwest of the Canterra Mineral Corporation's ("CTM") Daniel's Pond VMS deposit, and just 600 m west-southwest from Benton's newly discovered Rickirb gold zone. In addition, further work will target favourable geology along strike of CTM's Bobby's Pond VMS deposit.

The Company acquired the Dominion Lake Project in 2024 after a large parcel of land became available for staking and has since accumulated a very large and prospective land position with many new discoveries in excellent geology.

Figure 1: Regional Compilation and Mineral Occurrence Map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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The Company will update shareholders on its high-grade Great Burnt Copper-Gold project in the coming weeks.

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.

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). Grab samples are selective in nature and may not represent the average mineralization of a bedrock exposure.

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 25km of strike and boasts six known Cu-Au-Ag zones over 15km 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 and 2 drill programs returned impressive results including 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

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

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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