Atna Resources Reports Fourth Quarter and 2012 Fiscal Year Results and Highlights

GOLDEN, Colo., March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Atna Resources Ltd. ("Atna" or the "Company") (TSX:ATN /OTCQB:ATNAF) today reported audited financial and operating results for the Company's year ended December 31, 2012. Unless otherwise designated, all amounts are in U.S. dollars. Additional details may be found in the MD&A and Financials filed on SEDAR and EDGAR or on our website at www.atna.com.

Highlights for Fourth Quarter 2012 and Subsequent Events through the Report Date:

• Atna generated net income of $2.3 million, $0.02 per basic share, in the Fourth Quarter 2012 net of an income tax benefit. Income before income tax was $1.7 million.
• Net cash provided by operating activities in the Fourth Quarter 2012 was $5.0 million. Cash provided by operating activities before working capital adjustments was $3.6 million. As of quarter-end, cash and cash equivalents were $19.3 million.
• Gold sales for the Fourth Quarter 2012 from Briggs and Pinson totaled 10,003 ounces, 16 percent higher than in Third Quarter 2012 and 19 percent higher than in Fourth Quarter 2011. Briggs sold 9,600 ounces in Fourth Quarter 2012 and 8,400 ounces in Fourth Quarter 2011.
• Briggs produced $7.2 million in operating cash flow and $3.8 million of income before tax and intercompany allocations in the Fourth Quarter 2012.  Pinson remains in development.
• Construction of surface facilities at Pinson including an assay lab, backfill facilities, expanded surface stockpile areas and dewatering capacity were completed in the fourth quarter 2012.
• A total of 894 feet of development was completed, and 4,187 tons of oxide and sulfide ores were mined and stockpiled in Fourth Quarter 2012 at Pinson. Approximately 3,400 tons of oxide ore were sold in the quarter resulting in receipt of $0.8 million.
• In February 2013, Pinson received its major permit modification to allow the expansion of production to 400,000 tons of ore per year.
• To date, four stopes have been developed at the Pinson Mine, with underhand mining below concrete rock fill being employed in two of these stopes.
• Four operating crews are presently employed at Pinson working on a 24-hour per day, 7 day per week schedule.
• In March of 2013, the remaining credit facility of C$17.5 million with Sprott Resource Lending was extended with C$1.46 million due each month commencing September 30, 2013 and ending on August 29, 2014.

Full Year Highlights, December 31, 2012:

• Atna generated net income of $6.9 million, $0.05 per basic share in 2012. Income before income tax was $7.1 million, an increase of 18 percent relative to 2011.
• Net cash provided by operating activities in 2012 was $13.6 million.
• Gold sales totaled 36,454 ounces from Briggs and Pinson in 2012, an increase of 13% over 2011. Revenues increased in 2012 by 15% to $59.8 million from $51.8 million in 2011.
• Briggs produced $23.1 million in operating cash flow and $15.4 million of income before tax and intercompany allocations in 2012.
• New NI 43-101 compliant technical reports were filed for the Pinson-underground, Reward and Briggs gold properties during Second Quarter 2012, updating resources, reserves, economics and mine plan outlooks.
• A proven and probable ore reserve of 1.7 million tons at an average grade of 0.369 ounces per ton, containing 644,600 ounces of gold was declared for the Pinson-underground project.
• The Technical Report for Reward filed in Second Quarter 2012 increased mine life by two years over the prior estimate. This Report indicated the project is expected to have a six year life producing at an average annual rate of approximately 35,000 ounces, producing a projected net present value (NPV) of $100 million, using a gold price of $1,500 and a discount rate of 5%.
• Development of Pinson was significantly advanced in 2012 and two shipments of oxide ore mined during development were completed prior to year-end.
• A seven-hole metallurgical drilling program was completed at the Columbia gold project with positive results indicating continuity and good grades. An environmental and technical baseline study was also conducted.
• Final top soil placement was completed at the Kendall mine closure site in Montana. 
• In September 2012, the Company issued 17,250,000 shares and 1,035,000 warrants netting approximately $16.3 million.
• A total of 8.5 million C$0.70 warrants were exercised in 2012 for net proceeds of $6.0 million. Approximately 4.5 million warrants were exercised in the fourth quarter.

About Atna Resources

Atna is a gold production and development company with a focus in the western US. Atna is producing gold at its Briggs mine located in Inyo County, California and is currently in early production stage at the Pinson underground gold mine near Winnemucca, Nevada. Infrastructure development has been substantially completed at the permitted Reward gold mine near Beatty, Nevada and early feasibility study work is being conducted at the Pinson open pit project and at the Columbia gold project located near Lincoln, Montana.   

Conference Call

Management will host a conference call on Friday, March 22nd, 2013, at 1:00p.m. Eastern time, to discuss these results and general corporate and project activities. Participants in the U.S. and Canada dial (877) 559-1977; International callers dial (660) 422-4979. Please reference conference ID # 22945837

A replay of the fourth quarter and year-end call will be available through 5:00p.m Eastern on Tuesday, March, 26, 2013, by dialing (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406, reference conference ID# 22945837

For additional information on Atna, its mining, development and exploration projects, please visit our website at www.atna.com.

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements," as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical fact. They are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include: the Company might encounter problems such as the significant depreciation of metals prices; accidents and other risks associated with mining exploration and development operations; the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors; the Company's need for and ability to obtain additional financing; the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration programs; and the other risk factors discussed in greater detail in the Company's various filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) with Canadian securities regulators and its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's 2012 Form 20-F dated March 21, 2013.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors --- The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits U.S. mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. We use certain terms in this report, such as "measured," "indicated," "inferred," and "resources," that the SEC guidelines strictly prohibit U.S. registered companies from including in their filings with the SEC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

James Hesketh, President and CEO - (303) 278-8464
Valerie Kimball, Investor Relations - toll free (877) 692-8182
www.atna.com

SOURCE Atna Resources Ltd.