Benton Resources makes new gold discovery at Great Burnt Main Zone and Footwall Zone, Newfoundland
Benton Resources Inc. [TSXV: BEX] has made a significant new gold discovery approximately 150 metres north of the Great Burnt Copper deposit, Newfoundland, in drill hole GB-25-63. Early assay results for gold returned 2.15 g/t over 7.70 metres, including 5.46 g/t over 2.75 metres and this section of core also contains visible chalcopyrite (copper) with assays for base metals forthcoming.
The company is pleased with this new intercept of gold, which may represent an extension of the mineralization intersected in hole GB-25-59 located 50 metres to the south. In GB-25-59, an upper zone contained gold mineralization grading 0.67g/t Au and 0.69% Cu over 14.40 metres, including 2.16 g/t Au and 1.09% Cu over 3.00 metres, while a lower zone in the same hole cut 0.89% Cu over 6.48 metres including 1.11% Cu over 5.09 m.
The company also tested the Footwall Zone (FZ) with another hole, GB-25-65, from west to east. This hole was designed as an infill hole to test the Great Burnt Main Zone (GBMZ) and also intersect the FZ located ~150 m east of the GBMZ. Both zones were successfully intersected in hole GB-25-65, with a massive sulphide section cut in the GBMZ and several sections of heavy chalcopyrite cut in the FZ, including one section of semi-massive sulphide over 1.8 m. The FZ horizon has tremendous upside potential and has received very little drilling to date.
The company has completed 5,090 metres of drilling as part of its phase 5 program, bringing the total to over 23,300 metres drilled since acquiring the project in late 2023. The company has sent 357 samples of core for assay and results are expected over the coming weeks. Drilling is currently paused until results are received and compiled, along with the evaluation of recent downhole geophysics which will provide targeting for the restart of drilling.
The company has also completed its planned 5.9-km long surface pulse Electro Magnetic (EM) survey along the South Pond (SP) trend on the Great Burnt Property. The EM survey has identified excellent conductive trends that coincide with known mineralized zones at SP, in addition to multiple new targets, which will be subject to summer follow-up with prospecting, trenching and diamond drilling. The SP trend has been drill-tested at shallow depths over a strike length of approximately 2.3 km with impressive results.
Benton holds 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 project operator.
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 at 3.21% Cu Indicated and 482,000 at 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.
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 robust results including: SP-24-03: 43.75 m of 1.62 g/t Au, SP-24-07: 74.20 m of 1.43g/t Au, SP-24-15: 22.50 m of 1.24 g/t Au and SP-24-32: 54.5 m of 1.88 g/t Au and is open for expansion in all directions.