Mainland and American Exploration Agree To Extend Merger Agreement

HOUSTON, March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mainland Resources, Inc. (the "Company" or "Mainland") (OTCQB: MNLU, Frankfurt: 5MN) announces that it and American Exploration Corporation ("American Exploration") have entered into an amending agreement to extend the termination date of the Merger Agreement between the companies to May 31, 2011.

The previously announced Merger Agreement between Mainland and American Exploration contemplates a stock-for-stock merger between the companies, subject to approval of the shareholders of both companies.  The companies have entered into the amending agreement to extend the termination date of the Merger Agreement to May 31, 2011, in order to allow for additional time to complete required administrative and regulatory matters related to the merger process.

In connection with the proposed merger, Mainland has filed with the SEC an amended Registration Statement on Form S-4/A (Amendment No. 1).  The Registration Statement incorporates a joint proxy statement/prospectus that Mainland and American Exploration plan to file with the SEC and mail to their respective stockholders in connection with obtaining stockholder approval of the proposed merger once the Registration Statement becomes effective.  The Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the SEC and there is no guarantee that the Registration Statement will be declared effective by the SEC. 

MISSISSIPPI PROSPECT STATUS

Mainland and its working interest partners control in excess of 17,800 net acres or 28 sections on the Buena Vista prospect area on which the Burkley Phillips No. 1 well was drilled to 22,000 feet, cored and logged. Post merger, Mainland is expected to own 92% of the 28 sections in the Buena Vista prospect.

As recently announced, a leading oil and gas services provider independently assessed free gas within the reservoir. That evaluation was performed across sixty (60) feet of section, which encompassed a twenty-one (21) foot cored interval in the wellbore, targeted so that all of the new core analyses could be accurately incorporated. Free gas calculated for this section was more than one and a half (1.5) times previous estimates for the same interval. If this assessment is representative of the entire interval, the gas in place in the Burkley Phillips #1 well could be in excess of 500 Bcf/section.

Mainland and Stephen Schubarth, President of Schubarth, Inc., are currently designing and planning the fracture treatment ("frac") and final completion of its Burkley Phillips No. 1 Well in Jefferson County, Mississippi.

LOUISIANA PROSPECT STATUS

Mainland previously discovered and developed a Haynesville Shale play in the East Holly Field area in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. Mainland established the field through drilling and completing five Haynesville Shale gas wells with Petrohawk Energy Corporation and subsequently sold its interest in the Haynesville Shale in a single transaction for over $28 million to Exco Operating Company (a subsidiary of Exco Resources), while retaining 100% of the shallower zones including the Hosston, Cotton Valley, and Upper Bossier formations. The Company recently disclosed that Ryder Scott Company Petroleum Consultants identified Net Possible Undeveloped Reserves of 60 Bcf of gas and 226,000 barrels of condensate/oil based on SEC guidelines and pricing as of December 2010 on the retained acreage.

About Mainland Resources, Inc.

Mainland Resources, Inc. is engaged in the exploration of oil and gas resources. The Company's current initiatives are focused on the acquisition and development of acreage in emerging and early developing oil and gas regions with the potential for material discoveries.

For information see: http://www.mainlandresources.com

Safe Harbour Statement

THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS", AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN SECTION 27A OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND SECTION 21E OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, WHICH ARE NOT PURELY HISTORICAL, ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INCLUDE ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS REGARDING THE FUTURE.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS THAT ARE PRECEDED BY, FOLLOWED BY, OR THAT INCLUDE SUCH WORDS AS "ESTIMATE," "ANTICIPATE," "BELIEVE," "PLAN" OR "EXPECT" OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.  RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES FOR THE COMPANY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OIL AND GAS PROPERTY EXPLORATION AND FUNDING AS WELL AS THE RISKS SHOWN IN THE COMPANY'S MOST RECENT ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K AND ITS QUARTERLY REPORTS ON FORM 10-Q, AND FROM TIME-TO-TIME IN OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY.  OTHER RISKS INCLUDE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REGULATORY APPROVAL PROCESS, COMPETITIVE COMPANIES, FUTURE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE COMPANY'S ABILITY AND LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR ITS EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES.  THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE COMPANY'S EXPLORATION EFFORTS WILL SUCCEED AND THE COMPANY WILL ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.  THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, AND THE COMPANY ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, OR TO UPDATE THE REASONS WHY ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT THE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS AND INTENTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE REASONABLE, THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THOSE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER ALL OF THE INFORMATION SET FORTH HEREIN AND SHOULD ALSO REFER TO THE RISK FACTORS DISCLOSED IN THE COMPANY'S PERIODIC REPORTS FILED FROM TIME-TO-TIME WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.

THIS NEWS RELEASE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY WHO TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS. EACH OF FINRA, THE SEC AND THE BRITISH COLUMBIA SECURITIES COMMISSION NEITHER APPROVES NOR DISAPPROVES OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.  THIS NEWS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.

Important Additional Information Will Be Filed With the SEC

THE COMPANY AND AMERICAN EXPLORATION CORPORATION INTEND TO FILE CERTAIN MATERIALS WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGER TRANSACTION BETWEEN THE PARTIES ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 23, 2010, INCLUDING THE FILING BY THE COMPANY WITH THE SEC OF A REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS AND RELATED MATERIALS TO REGISTER THE SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY TO BE ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR SECURITIES OF AMERICAN EXPLORATION. THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT WILL INCORPORATE A JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/ PROSPECTUS THAT THE COMPANY AND AMERICAN EXPLORATION PLAN TO FILE WITH THE SEC AND MAIL TO THEIR RESPECTIVE STOCKHOLDERS IN CONNECTION WITH OBTAINING STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED MERGER. THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, AMERICAN EXPLORATION, THE MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FREE COPIES OF THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC BY THE COMPANY AND AMERICAN EXPLORATION, THROUGH THE WEB SITE MAINTAINED BY THE SEC AT WWW.SEC.GOV.  THE COMPANY'S SECURITY HOLDERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE INFORMATION AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME ON HOW TO OBTAIN THESE DOCUMENTS FREE OF CHARGE FROM THE COMPANY. IN ANY EVENT, DOCUMENTS FILED BY THE COMPANY WITH THE SEC MAY BE OBTAINED FREE OF CHARGE BY CONTACTING THE COMPANY AT: MAINLAND RESOURCES, INC.; ATTENTION: MR. WILLIAM THOMAS, CFO; 21 WATERWAY AVENUE, SUITE 300, THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS 77380; FACSIMILE: (713) 583-1162.

EACH OF THE COMPANY AND AMERICAN EXPLORATION, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, ALSO MAY BE DEEMED TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE STOCKHOLDERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION DESCRIBED HEREIN. INFORMATION REGARDING THE SPECIAL INTERESTS OF THESE DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS IN THE TRANSACTION DESCRIBED HEREIN WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

SOURCE Mainland Resources, Inc.