BenchMark Energy Corporation And University of North Dakota Extend Research Agreement Through July 2013

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Aug 01, 2012, 12:00 ET

WOODLANDS, Texas, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BenchMark Energy Corporation (OTC: BMRK) is pleased to announce that it has agreed to extend its research contract with the University of North Dakota ("UND") through July 2013.

Originally signed on November 1, 2011, the contract calls for UND to study the impact of adding glycerin to coal upon combustion performance. The study will ascertain the benefits that could be obtained from the co-combustion of Benchmark Energy's glycerin product with coal.

BenchMark Energy hopes that these studies will show that the benefits of glycerin, a renewable fuel resource, in co-combustion may include reduction in the C0₂ footprint (pounds of fossil C0₂ emitted per KW generated). BenchMark Energy also hopes to see an increase in combustion efficiency (KW generated per pound of fuel consumed), along with a reduction in HAP (hazardous air pollutant) emissions.

UND combustion researchers will conduct a series of experiments in which BenchMark's high purity glycerin is co-combusted with three different types of coal - an Eastern U.S. bituminous, a Western U.S. sub-bituminous, and a North Dakota lignite.

The studies will be conducted in a self-sustaining large laboratory scale combustor whose residence time/temperature profile scales to commercial boilers. The goal is to quantify these benefits of co-combustion and for increased combustion efficiency and reduced emissions.

The work will be conducted by the Sustainable Energy Research Initiative and Supporting Education (SUNRISE) center at the University of North Dakota. SUNRISE is a student-centered, faculty-organized supercluster consisting of 38 faculty in 13 academic departments at the University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, and Mayville State University. SUNRISE research focuses on three areas: the technologies to enable the environmentally sustainable use of coal, the production of fuels, chemicals, polymers, and composites from renewable sources, and the harvesting of energy from diffuse sources (wind/solar/hydrogen).

About BenchMark Energy Corporation: www.benchmarkenergy.com. While the demand for glycerin has remained stable, the demand for refined glycerin, technical grade and higher, has risen. BenchMark Energy has focused its attention on distribution and refinement of glycerin in the energy and pharmaceutical industries. For more information on BenchMark Energy, Energy Partners, LLC, glycerin, its uses and benefits, please see our website.

NOTE: Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "plan," "confident that," "believe," "scheduled," "expect," or "intend to," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to complete the planned bridge financing, market conditions, the general acceptance of the Company's products and technologies, competitive factors, timing, and other risks described in the Company's SEC reports and filings.

CONTACT: Alex Livak 917-238-0611 [email protected] www.benchmarkenergy.com

SOURCE BenchMark Energy Corporation