Benton uncovers precious metals at Bermuda
2005-05-12 10:35 MT - News Release
Mr. Stephen Stares reports
BENTON RESOURCES CORP. (BTC) FINDS HIGHER PGE GRADES AT THEIR BERMUDA PROPERTY
Benton Resources Corp. has received very encouraging results from its first few days of prospecting on the Bermuda property confirming of the presence of significant values of platinum, palladium and gold.
Prospecting on the eastern strike extent of the Wullie Lake deposit returned up to 5.073 grams per tonne combined Pt-Pd-Au total precious metals (TPM, 2.241 g/t Pt plus 2.626 g/t Pd plus 0.206 g/t Au) from 12 grab samples. Eleven of the samples assayed above one g/t TPM. The Wullie Lake deposit is the western strike extent of the magnetite-rich cumulate horizons discovered on the Bermuda property and has a historical resource of 32 million tonnes grading 0.3 per cent Cu, 2.48 per cent Ti, 23 per cent Fe and 0.02 per cent Ni (not NI 43-101 compliant).
Prospecting completed on the Par Lake portion of the property three kilometres west of Wullie Lake in the area where previous operators indicated a resource of 60 million tonness grading 0.2 per cent Cu, 5 per cent Ti and 27 per cent Fe and 5 per cent P (Sally Lake deposit) also show very encouraging results. Twelve grab samples collected from the Sally Lake deposit area assayed up to 4.0 g/t TPM (1.73 g/t Pt, 2.09 g/t Pd and 0.183 g/t Au). The average grade of the 12 samples is 2.17 g/t TPM. The historical resource is not compliant with NI 43-101 and to the company's knowledge has never been tested for platinum group elements (PGE). The company will use the location of the resource as a guide to help define the platinum, palladium and gold content. In addition, grab samples collected 700 metres east of the Sally Lake deposit returned assays up to 2.4 g/t TPM.
A fourth area of significant mineralization was discovered near the southeast boundary of the Bermuda property. This area returned assays grading up to 2.1 g/t TPM. No base metal values for the recent sampling program have been received as of yet.
The company is very excited about these new discoveries and believes the Bermuda property has excellent potential to host a large deposit of PGE. The company will be aggressively moving forward to determine if the old deposits have potential to host large resources of platinum, palladium and gold with base metal credits. The company's Bermuda property now has significant mineralization over a strike length of 15 kilometres. The Bermuda property lies directly along strike of Marathon PGM Corp.'s Marathon deposit containing a resource of 1.9 million ounces total palladium, platinum and gold and 290 million pounds of copper (PR March 30, 2005).
Drilling has commenced on the Bermuda property and the fourth hole is currently under way. Prospecting is also continuing and new targets are being identified.
Clinton Barr, PGeo, vice-president, exploration, for Benton Resources Corp., is the qualified person responsible for this release.
We seek Safe Harbor.
K.D.
