Benton Options Recently Acquired Mealy Project to Platinum Group Metals Ltd.

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug 16, 2013) - Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed an option agreement (the "Agreement") with Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (TSX:PTM) ("PTM") on the Company's recently acquired Mealy copper-nickel-platinum-palladium project (the "Project") in Labrador. The Agreement allows PTM to earn a 71% interest in the Project by paying the Company $51,000 on the effective date of the Agreement (the "Effective Date") and by incurring an aggregate of $2.4 million in exploration expenditures on the Project as follows:

Upon completion of the prescribed cash payment and exploration expenditures, PTM will earn a 71% interest in the Project at which point a joint venture will be formed between the Company and PTM. Benton will retain a 1% NSR on the Project and PTM will be the operator of the Project while it holds a majority interest.

Stephen Stares, Company President and CEO commented, "We are very pleased to be working with Platinum Group Metals Ltd. once again. We look forward to completing the airborne survey and following up with detailed ground work on this exciting new prospect in an underexplored area in Labrador. By executing this agreement with steady annual work commitments, Benton shareholders can expect regular exploration results at no cost to the treasury."

The Mealy Project covers 261 square-kilometres of the Mealy Lake mafic intrusion and is contiguous to Altius Minerals Corp.'s ("Altius") 256 square-kilometre Natashquan property, both located approximately 140 kilometres southwest of Churchill Falls in Labrador. The Mealy Project covers the same mafic intrusive rock that hosts Altius' recently announced new Ni-Cu-Co-PGE discovery. Altius has entered into a joint venture agreement with Anglo American ("Anglo") whereby Anglo has the option to earn a 66-per-cent interest in the project through expenditures of $20-million over a five-year period. Exploration highlights from Altius' Nastashquan discovery include "2.68g/t combined Pt, Pd and Au (grab) - 6.14% Cu and 388ppb Pt - 1.04g/t combined Pt, Pd, Au and 1.06% Cu over 1.30m (channel) - 1.04 g/t combined Pt, Pd, Au and 3.92% Cu over 1.00m (channel) - 2.49g/t combined Pt, Pd and Au and 1.07% Ni (grab) - several grab samples >7% Cu - soil samples up to 26,000ppm Cu" (http://altiusminerals.com/projects/natashquan).

The Mealy Lake mafic intrusion was identified from historic work completed by the Newfoundland and Labrador Geological Survey. The main intrusive is approximately 45 kilometres long and 25 kilometers wide and is Late Paleoproterozoic in age with local fresh crosscutting mafic to ultra-mafic rock. The disseminated to massive sulphide mineralization found to date displays cumulate textures indicative of primary magmatic type Cu-Ni-PGE deposition within the mafic to ultra-mafic intrusive.

Benton and PTM are currently planning an airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey to be followed by geological mapping, prospecting, and soil sampling on anomalies identified from the new survey.

About Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BEX):

Benton Resources Inc. is a newly listed and well funded Canadian based junior with multiple joint ventures and a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements.

About Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (TSX:PTM) (NYSE:PLG):

Platinum Group is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and Vancouver, Canada. The company is building the 74% owned WBJV Project 1 Platinum Mine in the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Platinum Group also has active exploration programs and a new platinum deposit discovery, near surface at the Waterberg joint venture in South Africa. Waterberg is in joint venture with the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation.

Clinton Barr (P.Geo.), V.P. Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., is the qualified person responsible for this release.

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

Stephen Stares, President

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."
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