Royal Roads & Benton provide exploration update for Long Range JV,
Newfoundland

    
    Trading Symbol: RRO - TSX-V
    Shares Outstanding: 112,127,290
    

HALIFAX, May 7 /CNW/ - Royal Roads Corp. (RRO-TSX-V) ("Royal Roads") and Benton Resources Corp. (BTC-TSX-V) ("Benton") (the "Companies") wish to provide the following exploration update on their Long Range Nickel joint venture in central Newfoundland, Canada. The recently announced diamond drilling program at the Range copper prospect (news release dated April 1, 2010) is now complete. Four holes and an extension of a previous hole were drilled to test the zone over a 200 m strike with all holes failing to intercept significant sulphide mineralization. As a result, the zone is now believed to have a different geometry than originally interpreted. Borehole geophysical surveys completed during the program on three of the available drill holes confirm the existence of the conductor associated with the zone; however, rugged terrain and an adjacent lake limited accessibility for positioning of subsequent drill holes. As a result, two holes undertaken after completion of borehole geophysics were unable to effectively test the prospect. The Companies believe additional ground geophysics and diamond drilling may be warranted in early 2011, when frozen lake conditions allow access over the prospect. The Range Prospect is still considered significant, as drilling in 2009 returned an intercept of banded, semi-massive and massive sulphides averaging 0.39% copper and 0.032% cobalt over a core length of 37.8 metres. The Companies believe the mineralization may remain open in several directions.

    
    Upcoming Work
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Planned exploration activities over other portions of the joint venture property are currently set to commence May 18th, with a contract awarded to Fugro Airborne Surveys Corp of Mississauga, Ontario to complete over 1,400 line kilometres of helicopter-borne HELITEM(R) geophysical surveys over additional claims acquired since September 2009, totaling more than 200 km2. The additional claims cover unexplored gabbro bodies recently recognized as being prospective for magmatic nickel-copper sulphide deposits. Surveys will be followed up by prospecting upon receipt of results.

Initiated in February, advanced surveys consisting of approximately 70 line kilometres of deep-seeking time domain electromagnetic surveys over the Portage Nickel Prospect and surrounding area are currently 60% complete. The surveys have been temporarily suspended during the Spring break-up period and are expected to resume May 8th. The survey is designed to explore the area surrounding the Portage Nickel Prospect where trenching in 2009 returned assays of up to 2.70% nickel, 0.58% copper and 0.24% cobalt in grab samples, as well as sawed channel samples averaging 0.99% nickel, 0.22% copper and 0.05% cobalt over 3.0 metres (including 2.18% nickel, 0.19% copper and 0.11% cobalt over 1.0 metre). Drilling on this prospect in 2009 intersected several sections of mineralized gabbro, including a section assaying 1.36% nickel, 0.36% copper and 0.039% cobalt over a 1 metre core length. The Companies consider the discovery of gabbro-hosted mineralization to be particularly encouraging, as it suggests sulphides have segregated in the gabbro and may have accumulated massive sulphides grading in excess of 4% nickel and 3% copper. Additional programs will be considered upon receipt of results and may include additional diamond drilling.

The joint venture is located close to infrastructure, including power lines and roads that provide ready access to port facilities located 40 kilometres to the west. The area is considered receptive to mining, being located less than 65 kilometres southwest of Buchans, one of the province's longest established mining centers.

    
    Qualified Person
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Paul Moore, M.Sc., P.Geo., (NL), Royal Road's Vice President of Exploration, is acting as Qualified Person in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 with respect to this release and has reviewed the contents for accuracy. Quoted assays and QAQC procedures described in detail in previous Royal Roads' press releases dated November 3 and November 18, 2009.

    
    About Royal Roads
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Royal Roads is a resource company based in Atlantic Canada and is primarily focused on exploring and developing mineral properties in the famous historic Buchans mining camp in central Newfoundland, Canada.

    
    About Benton Resources
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Benton is a Canadian-based junior with multiple joint ventures and a diversified property portfolio in Gold, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements. The Company currently has approximately $12.4 million in cash, owns approximately 36% interest in Coro Mining Corp (TSX.COP), holds an approximate 5% interest in Marathon PGM Corp (TSX.MAR) and retains a 2% Net Smelter Royalty on the northern portion of the Marathon PGM deposit.

    
    Forward Looking Statements
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Certain information contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Royal Roads and Benton (the "Companies") believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The Companies caution that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond their control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what the Companies currently foresee. The Companies' forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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For further information: Warren MacLeod, President & CEO, Royal Roads Corp., [phone], Winsor, Nova Scotia, www.royalroadscorp.ca; Stephen Stares, President & CEO, Benton Resources Corp., [phone], Thunder Bay, Ontario, www.bentonresources.ca