Atna Resources Reported On Exploration And Venture Projects

Atna Resources Reported On Exploration And Venture Projects

GOLDEN, CO – Atna Resources Ltd. has acquired a 30 percent interest in a five percent (net 1.5 percent) net smelter return royalty pertaining to approximately four sections of land within the area of interest of the Pinson Mine Project. This interest was acquired from Barrick Turquoise Ridge Inc., a subsidiary of Barrick Gold. One of these sections contains gold resources previously announced by Atna. The Pinson project is a joint venture between Pinson Mining Company ("PMC"), a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, with PMC owning a 70 percent interest, and Atna who owns a 30 percent interest. PMC is the operator of the venture. Barrick acquired the royalty in its merger of Placer Dome in 2006 and this royalty interest was covered under the area of mutual interest clause within the Pinson Mining Venture Agreement.

The 2010 budget for the Pinson project includes ongoing underground pumping and maintenance operations. PMC is considering its strategic options for its interest in the Pinson project.

In February 2008, Atna signed an Option Agreement with Golden Predator Royalty & Development Corporation ("GP") on Atna’s Adelaide and Tuscarora properties, located in Humboldt and Elko counties, Nevada.

In August 2009, GP completed an NI 43-101 compliant technical report on the Adelaide project. The technical report summarized all past exploration, including successful exploration results from the company’s 2008-2009 drilling program, where several +1.0 ounce/ton gold intercepts were intersected. Potential for high grade, bonanza vein-style system was demonstrated in the drilling. A work plan was recommended consisting of detailed mapping, compilation work, reverse circulation and diamond drilling, and three dimensional modeling.

In December 2009, GP reported that it had completed a 13 hole reverse circulation drill program totaling 2,240 meters of drilling. Significant mineralization was encountered in this recent drilling highlighted by 21.7 gram per tonne ("gpt") gold across a true vein width of 7.1 meters, including 31.6 gpt gold across a true vein width of 4.3 meters.

At the Clover project in Nevada, Yamana Gold is completing permits with the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") to allow a third round of drilling. Yamana anticipates the BLM will grant the permits before the end of the second quarter of 2010 and drilling is to commence shortly thereafter. Yamana’s plan of operations includes 125 acres of new disturbance at the project. Work will be carried out in stages and be driven by drill results, which are estimated to utilize 14 acres of the permitted disturbance (roads and pad construction). Planned work in 2010 includes drilling to extend and in-fill gold mineralization in the Clover Hill area and an initial round of drilling on the Saddle Target in the northern portion of the property where seven new drill sites are planned.

The Clover prospect is a low-sulfidation, vein-hosted, epithermal gold prospect located adjacent to the Midas Trough within the Northern Nevada Rift. Clover’s geologic setting is similar to Newmont Mining’s Ken Snyder (Midas) mine 8 miles to the east.

During 2009, Atna’s partner in the Sand Creek joint venture, Uranium One completed 24 drill holes to an average depth of 755 feet totaling 18,074 feet of drilling. Ten of the twenty-four holes drilled encountered encouraging uranium intercepts of greater than 0.25 GT (%U3O8 x feet thickness) with a highlight of 6 feet at 0.11% U3O8. The drilling program was designed to test the step-out and in-fill potential of the project’s roll front-style uranium mineralization.

The Sand Creek uranium joint venture interest area, located south east of Douglas Wyoming, was identified by a subsidiary of Atna and its former joint venture partners during a uranium exploration effort in the early 1980s. Under various Agreements a subsidiary of Uranium One Inc. may spend up to US$1.6 million before December 31, 2012 to increase its interest in the Sand Creek Joint Venture from 30 percent to 51 percent. Atna’s equity position may decrease from 70 percent to 49 percent, should Uranium One meet this commitment. Atna will be carried at no expense while Uranium One spends the funds to increase its interest. If Uranium One does not earn up to a 50 percent position, then Atna would be entitled to assume the role of operator in the project.

Atna has retained Chlumsky, Armbrust and Meyer of Lakewood, Colorado to complete an NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the Cecil R gold project located four miles from the Briggs Mine in California. Preliminary database assembly and geologic modeling has been completed for the project.

The company’s address is 14142 Denver West Parkway, Suite 250, Golden, CO 80401, (303) 278-8464, fax: (303) 279-3772, email: [email protected]