Benton Announces Appointment of Darin Wagner as Special Advisor and Provides Exploration Update

Rhea-AI Summary

Benton Resources (OTC:BNTRF) appointed Darin Wagner, P.Geo., as a special technical advisor and granted 300,000 incentive stock options at $0.10 exercisable for five years. Benton postponed planned drilling in Central Newfoundland due to heavy winter snow, continued limited soil sampling, and is upgrading its Great Burnt camp ahead of a larger 2026 exploration season.

The company highlighted large land positions at Dominion Lake and Victoria West near recent Equinox gold discoveries and plans trenching at Dominion Lake when weather allows.

Positive

• Appointed experienced advisor Darin Wagner with 35+ years in exploration and corporate M&A
• Holds large land positions at Dominion Lake and Victoria West adjacent to recent Equinox discoveries
• Upgrading Great Burnt exploration camp to support a larger 2026 field season

Negative

• Planned drill program postponed due to unusual winter weather and heavy snow
• Issued 300,000 stock options at $0.10 (five-year term) which may dilute shareholders

Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2026) - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Darin Wagner, P.Geo., has joined the Company as a special technical advisor. The Company is very pleased to welcome Darin as he brings a wealth of knowledge in Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides (VMS) and gold systems, along with a long career in equity markets leading to multiple mergers and acquisitions. Darin's resume is truly impressive as a Professional Geologist with over 35 years of mineral exploration and corporate development experience. He has an accomplished background in public company fund raising, corporate management/governance and merger/acquisition transactions. He is a recognized expert in gold exploration with broad experience in mesothermal, epithermal and porphyry environments.

Mr. Wagner co-founded/founded several Abitibi-region exploration companies including; West Timmins Mining, Falco Pacific Resources and Balmoral Resources. West Timmins and Balmoral were acquired by third parties in deals valued at $424 and $160 million respectively and Falco transferred to the Osisko Group to advance after acquisition of the multi-million-ounce Horne deposit in Quebec by Falco Pacific.

More recently Mr. Wagner has served as a management/technical advisor to numerous companies in the exploration and mining space including Gatling Exploration (acquired by MAG Silver), Nova Royalties (acquired by Metalla Royalty and Streaming) and most recently MAG Silver (acquired by Pan American Silver). He currently sits as an advisor to TSX-V listed Midnight Sun Mining, Dryden Gold, Majestic Gold and private gold exploration and royalty companies.

The Company's board of directors has approved the grant of 300,000 incentive stock options to Mr. Wagner at an exercise price of $0.10 for a period of five years that will vest in accordance with the Company's stock options plan.

Company President and CEO Stephen Stares stated "We are extremely pleased to welcome Darin to the Benton team. I've known Darin for many years and have truly admired his leadership and successes throughout his career. His experience in exploration, discovery and financial markets will be a great addition to Benton as we advance our excellent portfolio of projects."

Darin Wagner added "I began my exploration career in Central Newfoundland working with Noranda during the discovery and delineation of the Duck Pond VMS deposit and am excited to return to the area working with the Benton team" said Mr. Wagner "Recent news from Benton, Equinox and others highlight the outstanding discovery potential which remains in Newfoundland where Benton is extremely well positioned.

The Company would also like to update shareholders on its Newfoundland exploration plans. Due to the unusual weather and extreme amount of snow this winter, the Company decided to postpone drilling until conditions on the ground improve. The Company has continued with a small soil sampling program north of the South Pond deposit and has commenced plans to upgrade the exploration camp to ensure it is better equipped to handle a larger and more robust exploration season at Great Burnt. These upgrades are well underway and scheduled to be completed in the next couple weeks.

In addition and as soon as weather permits, Benton is planning a trenching program to expose several new areas of gold and base-metal surface showings discovered while prospecting last season on the Dominion Lake project. A recent announcement by Equinox Gold Corp. has created new excitement in Central Newfoundland, where they've discovered several new gold zones within their Valentine Gold property. These significant new results continue to show the huge potential for new discoveries in the region. Benton holds very large land positions at Dominion Lake and at Victoria West which covers the western continuation of the same stratigraphy and geology as that of the Equinox discoveries.

Maps of Bentons large land packages are shown below.

Figure 1: Benton Resources Central Newfoundland Properties

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3657/283547_211b912604b6c9a8_002full.jpg

Figure 2: Benton Resources Victoria West Property

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3657/283547_211b912604b6c9a8_003full.jpg

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.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc.,

"Stephen Stares"

Stephen Stares, President

Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact Mr. Stares at the number below.

For further information, please contact:

Stephen Stares, President & CEO
Phone: 807-474-9020
Email: sstares@bentonresources.ca

Nick Konkin, Investor Relations
Phone: 647-249-9298 ext. 322
Email: nick@grovecorp.ca

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283547

FAQ

Who is Darin Wagner and what role did Benton (BNTRF) assign him on February 11, 2026?

Darin Wagner is a Professional Geologist with 35+ years; he joined Benton as a special technical advisor. According to the company, Wagner brings VMS and gold expertise and M&A experience from prior roles and advisory positions.

What are the terms of the stock options granted to Darin Wagner by Benton (BNTRF)?

Benton granted 300,000 incentive stock options exercisable at $0.10 for five years. According to the company, the options will vest under Benton’s stock option plan and were board-approved.

Why did Benton (BNTRF) postpone its drilling program in Central Newfoundland?

Benton postponed drilling because of unusual winter weather and an extreme amount of snow on the ground. According to the company, they continued soil sampling and are upgrading the camp pending improved field conditions.

What exploration work is Benton (BNTRF) conducting at Dominion Lake and Victoria West in 2026?

Benton is conducting limited soil sampling, planning trenching at Dominion Lake, and upgrading camp facilities at Great Burnt. According to the company, trenching will expose new gold and base-metal surface showings once weather permits.

How does Benton (BNTRF) position its properties relative to Equinox’s recent Newfoundland discoveries?

Benton holds contiguous stratigraphy at Dominion Lake and Victoria West that covers the western continuation of the same geology. According to the company, this proximity underscores discovery potential in Central Newfoundland.