Vancouver — Low-grade results from a three-hole drill program aimed at testing the downdip extension of mineralization at the past-producing Lone Pine base metal mine has Atna Resources (ATN-T) looking at the regional exploration potential of the area just north of Mayer, Ariz.
The holes were following up on a recently completed underground sampling program, which returned values of up to 7% copper, 6.5% zinc, 253 grams silver and 28 grams gold per tonne.
Two of the holes cut narrow sections 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 per tonne. Hole 3 hit 1.7 metres grading 0.4% copper, 0.4% lead, 0.5% zinc, 47.5 grams silver and 2.2 grams gold.
Lone Pine is located in an historical mining camp that includes the Iron King and United Verde base metal mines. It operated intermittently from the early 1900s to the 1950s, reportedly treating ore with an average grade of 6% copper, 5% zinc, 93.3 grams silver and 6.2 grams gold per tonne. The mine includes three shafts going to a maximum depth of 58 metres and an adit that covers 183 metres of strike length.
Based on the drill results, the junior plans to evaluate the structural interpretation to determine if more drilling is warranted.
In the meantime, Atna sees good exploration potential on the regional front. Eyeing the same belt of rocks that hosts the Lone Pine prospect, the company has identified a 1.5-km-long zone of altered mafic and felsic rocks along strike of a historic prospect.
Having undergone limited mining and development work, 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 plans on mapping and sampling the old mine site and the adjacent claims in order to outline possible drill targets.
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