Atna Res alters strategy

Vancouver — Atna Resources (ANT-T) has received low-grade results from a 3-hole drill program targeting the past-producing Lone Pine base metal mine, near Mayer, Ariz., and, as a result, is shifting its focus to an area to the north.

Recent underground sampling returned up to 7% copper and 6.5% zinc, plus 253 grams silver and 28 grams gold per tonne. Two of the holes in the 407-metre program cut a narrow section of semi-massive to disseminated sulphides. Hole 1 returned 1.2 metres averaging 0.18% copper, 0.05% lead, 0.7% zinc, 7.3 grams silver and 0.5 gram gold, whereas hole 3 hit 1.7 metres of 0.4% copper, 0.4% lead, 0.5% zinc, 47.5 grams silver and 2.2 grams gold.

Situated in a historical mining camp that includes the Iron King and United Verde base metal mines, Lone Pine operated intermittently from the early 1900s to the 1950s. Mined ore reportedly averaged 6% copper, 5% zinc, 93.3 grams silver and 6.2 grams gold. The mine includes three shafts that extend to a maximum depth of 58 metres, as well as an adit that covers 183 metres of strike length.

Atna believes the region has good exploration potential. Eyeing the same belt of rocks that host the Lone Pine prospect, the company identified a 1.5-km-long zone of altered mafic and felsic rocks along strike of a historic 1900s prospect. Sampling from dumps returned up to 10% copper and 6.6 grams gold. Mineralization occurs as banded massive sulphides and siliceous iron formation in pyritic quartz sericite schists.

Atna will carry out mapping and sampling at the old mine site and the adjacent claims in an attempt to outline drill targets.