Atna Expands Cerro Negro Claim Area, Commences Metallurgical Testing.

Business Editors

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(Oct. 9, 2002)

Atna Resources Ltd. (TSX:ATN) is pleased to announce that it has concluded an agreement between Minera Atna Chile Limitada (a subsidiary of Atna Resources Ltd.) and Minera Teck Cominco Chile Limitada (a subsidiary of Teck Cominco Limited of Canada) to acquire a 100% interest in the Celeste project claims that surround Atna's Cerro Negro copper deposit in northern Chile. The expanded property position increases Atna's exploration opportunities and provides sufficient surface space for operational facilities and infrastructure. The addition of the 2,901 ha property gives Atna nearly complete control over the 13 kilometre long trend of Iron-Oxide Copper-Gold occurrences in the Cerro Negro district.

The Cerro Negro deposit is central to the trend and contains an inferred, open pit, oxide resource of 191 million tonnes grading 0.46% copper as estimated by Phelps Dodge (see ATN press release dated Mar. 18, 2002). Cominco carried out work on the Celeste claims both to the north and south of the Cerro Negro property; to the north, they identified a 900m by 400m area of predominantly sulphide mineralization (La Estrella zone) that is on strike with the Cerro Negro deposit. The best drill intersections from this mineralization included 151 metres grading 0.84% Cu and 0.13 g/t Au; 48m grading 1.41% Cu and 0.22 g/t Au; and 62 metres grading 0.77% Cu and 0.15 g/t Au. Much of the 6 km strike length between the Cerro Negro deposit and the La Estrella zone is untested. The sulphide mineralization at La Estrella and below the Cerro Negro oxide zone, have potential for future development. Additionally, near surface sulphide mineralization of La Estrella may be used on leach pads for their potential to generate acid and thereby reduce leaching costs. The Teck Cominco claims are subject to a 2% NSR and a one time payment of $US50.00 per hectare land usage fee for any ground used for mining facilities.

Atna is currently conducting a metallurgical test program on Cerro Negro. Metallurgical testing includes identification of ore types and the collection of bulk samples from underground workings. Samples are being studied for mineralogical characteristics, optimal crush size, and agglomeration parameters prior to column leach testing. Data from the column tests will be used to determine the economic viability of the different ore types and determine cut-off grades allowing targeting of the best material for in-fill drilling and resource estimation.

Contingent on metallurgical test results, a major program of in-fill and exploration drilling will be carried out to upgrade the resource classification within the higher-grade areas and to test surrounding ground for additional mineable mineralization. Atna's objective is to outline a higher-grade, heap-leach resource within the larger tonnage of lower grade, run-of-mine, leachable material to provide the initial production for a 25,000 annual tonnes of cathode copper plant.

The Cerro Negro project provides Atna with the opportunity to establish a profitable mine in a short time frame with relatively low capital costs. There project has significant exploration potential to increase the production scale in the future.