Benton Announce $2.5 Million Flow-Through Financing

Benton Resources announced a non‑brokered flow‑through private placement of up to 31,250,000 units at $0.08 per unit, targeting gross proceeds of $2.5 million (subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval). Each unit contains one flow‑through common share and half of a warrant exercisable at $0.12 for 24 months (full warrant attached to two units). Proceeds will be used exclusively to fund eligible Canadian exploration expenses that qualify as “flow‑through critical mineral mining expenditures” on or before 31 Dec 2027, with a renunciation deadline of 31 Dec 2026. The offering is subject to a four‑month plus one day hold period in Canada.

• Financing size vs. cash position: Benton’s latest interim statements show cash of C$0.39 M (Dec 2025) and temporary investments of C$2.08 M, but the company carries a sizable deficit (~C$31.5 M). A $2.5 M infusion represents roughly 6‑7 % of total current assets and directly addresses short‑term cash needs for its Newfoundland drill program.
• Flow‑through nature: The structure provides tax‑efficient capital to shareholders, enhancing the attractiveness of the raise and limiting dilution impact on existing holders.
• Strategic timing: The financing is announced just days before a major summer drilling campaign at the Great Burnt copper‑gold project and continued work at South Pond. Access to funds removes execution risk for those high‑grade targets that have already generated encouraging assay results (e.g., 31.35 g/t Au surface samples, >5 % Cu intercepts).
• Market perception: The announcement is new (not previously disclosed) and materially positive because it secures the capital required to advance flagship projects without resorting to high‑cost debt. It also signals confidence from existing shareholders who are willing to participate in a flow‑through offering.
• Overall materiality: Given Benton’s cash‑constrained balance sheet, the financing is a material‑positive catalyst that should support near‑term exploration milestones and mitigate dilution concerns.

Benton Resources Inc. is a junior explorer focused on copper‑gold systems in western Newfoundland, Canada. Its primary assets are: - Great Burnt Project (GB): A large copper‑gold VMS‑type system with indicated resources of ~667 kt @ 3.21 % Cu and inferred 482 kt @ 2.35 % Cu. Recent surface sampling returned up to 31.35 g/t Au, indicating a northward extension. - South Pond Gold‑Copper Deposit: A shallow, >2.7 km gold‑copper horizon with multiple >1 g/t Au intercepts and high‑grade copper zones (>5 % Cu) identified in recent drilling. - Additional land packages (Dominion Lake, Victoria West, Stoney Caldera, Island Pond) expand the company’s footprint along the “Great Copper‑Gold Corridor.”