Benton and Metals Creek Unveil Anomalous Hydrogen and Helium Anomalies in Newfoundland Projects

Benton Resources Inc. and Metals Creek Resources Corp. have announced preliminary results of a soil gas program revealing anomalous concentrations of hydrogen and helium at their Smoking Gun and Parson's Pond projects in Newfoundland. The recent surveys, conducted by Rudy Willick of Rudiger Re-Chem, collected 710 samples over a period of approximately two weeks, with analysis for hydrogen, helium, neon, CO2, and C1-C4 hydrocarbons.

The Smoking Gun project, located in the Deer Lake sedimentary basin, has identified two highly prospective hydrogen and helium anomalies. The soil gas anomalies show hydrogen values up to 600 parts per million (ppm) and helium values up to 7.7 parts per million (ppm). These results are significant as they point to a potential robust active gas system within the Deer Lake Basin. Notably, the presence of several hydrogen sample clusters near the historic Finnegan Well, which encountered high-pressure gas, suggests a possible common source for both gases.

The Parson's Pond Property, also in Western Newfoundland, has uncovered two significant hydrogen soil gas anomalies. The soil samples revealed hydrogen values up to 900 ppm, a finding considered highly significant. These results indicate a potential active migration of hydrogen from underlying source rock, supporting the theory of a productive gas system within the basin. The Parson's Pond Lake area, despite challenging sampling conditions, produced anomalous hydrogen concentrations, with several samples showing hydrogen above 400 ppm. The highest hydrogen concentrations were found in the central area, reaching up to 900 ppm.

Both projects show promise in hosting subsurface hydrogen and helium. The Deer Lake Basin is known for its favorable geological environment, including shales, sandstones, and conglomerates that can host serpentine and chrome fragments, essential for the creation of natural hydrogen. The close proximity to the Cabot Fault Zone provides deep structural pathways, allowing for the migration of hydrogen or helium into porous sandstones and conglomerates, where mudstones and shales act as seals, trapping the gases.

Similarly, the Parson's Pond Basin, underlain by thrust faulted rocks of the Humber Arm Supergroup, contains shales and sandstones with glauconite, indicating a highly prospective environment for the generation of white hydrogen. The basin's mudstones and shales are essential for the entrapment of both hydrogen and helium, while high concentrations of methane in historical drill logs suggest a potentially active gas system.

While the current results are early-stage, the company is encouraged by the near-surface results that potentially indicate a direct pathway to a deeper source. The company believes that both the Deer Lake and Parson's Pond basins are productive for hydrogen, with Parson's Pond also illustrating potential for helium. The next steps will involve further exploration, including passive sampling in swamp and bog areas, to clarify potential connections between these anomalies.

These results are part of a larger initiative to explore the potential for hydrogen and helium resources in these basins, aligning with growing interest in alternative energy sources.