Benton Resources resumes drilling at Great Burnt Project, Newfoundland
Benton Resources Inc. [TSXV: BEX] has resumed diamond drilling at its Great Burnt copper gold project, central Newfoundland. Hole GB-25-61 is under way and will test 50 metres below the recently announced new discovery under the North Stringer zone (NSZ) in hole GB-25-59.
This hole encountered two zones, with the upper zone returning 0.69% copper over 14.40 metres, including 1.09% Cu over 3.00 metres. The lower zone returned 0.80% Cu over 15.00 metres, including 0.96% Cu over 6.20 metres, 1.65% Cu over 3.00 metres and 2.07% Cu over 2.00 metres.
The upper zone was associated with gold mineralization grading 0.67 g/t gold over 14.40 metres, including 2.16 g/t Au over 3.00 metres. The lower zone, with higher-grade copper, is associated with a downhole, off-hole EM (electromagnetic) anomaly, which demonstrates considerable expansion potential for this new area. Drilling will target this new anomaly and area for expansion with four holes; above, below, north and south of these new intercepts.
The company will also complete a 50-metre stepout hole designed to test the continuation of the GB main deposit to the south and down-plunge. The hole will target where a deep downhole pulse electromagnetic survey has identified an EM conductor in drill hole GB-25-53 that intersected a wide zone of copper mineralization grading 0.77% Cu over 32.1 metres, including 1.12% Cu over 18.97 metres, 1.83% Cu over 8.63 metres, 2.41% Cu over 5.25 metres and 4.34% Cu over 1.00 metres.
The company has also completed the planned five-km-long (km) surface pulse EM survey along the northern five km South Pond trend on the Great Burnt property. Given that the interpreted conductive trend remains open to the north and south, the company has decided the expand the survey another one km to its northern claim boundary to define its limits. Diamond drilling and further geological mapping will target these conductive zones this coming summer.
The South Pond trend has been drill tested at shallow depths over a strike length of approximately 2.3 km with impressive results.
Benton has a 70% interest in the Great Burnt copper-gold project and Homeland nickel holds the remaining 30% where they are financing their respective interest, with Benton as the project operator.
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, Benton 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 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 (copper-gold-silver) 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.
All drilling phases at Great Burnt to date have returned impressive results, including: GB-23-02: 13.00 m of 8.31% Cu, including 3.00 m of 12.80% Cu; GB-23-04: 26.87 m of 7.18% Cu, including 11.16 m of 10.28% Cu; GB-23-12: 25.42 m of 5.51% Cu, including 1.00 m of 8.77% Cu, 82.00 g/t Ag and 4.43 g/t Au; GB-23-15: 22.59 m of 5.03% Cu, including 0.50 m of 20.00% Cu; GB-23-21: 24.00 m of 5.81% Cu, including 7.00 m of 11.47% Cu; and GB-23-22: 21.68 m of 3.59% Cu, including 2.00 m of 15.3% 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 robust results, including: SP-24-03: 43.75 m of 1.62 g/t Au; SP-24-07: 74.20 m of 1.43 g/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.