Mainland Receives New Data Suggesting Burkley Phillips No. 1 Well Gas in Place Could Be in Excess of 500 Billion Cubic Feet per Section

HOUSTON, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mainland Resources, Inc. (the "Company" or "Mainland") (OTCQB: MNLU, Frankfurt: 5MN) has received data that supports both higher adsorbed and free gas in place relative to previously reported volumes of gas in place on its Burkley Phillips No. 1 Well in Jefferson County, Mississippi.

In collaboration, 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 the 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 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 and logged. A conventional core was secured just below 20,415 feet for analysis. Post merger, Mainland owns 92% of the 28 sections in the Buena Vista prospect.

The Company announced on February 16, 2011, the initial shale gas analysis on the well demonstrated 331 billion cubic feet of gas in place (290 billion cubic feet free gas in place) per 640 acre section, however, new data received suggests that the earlier reported gas in place number could be markedly higher. Both free gas and adsorbed gas must be considered when calculating total gas in place within a reservoir.

The new data includes adsorption isotherm measurements taken from three shale samples within the cored interval. This data suggests that adsorbed gas storage capacity is at least three (3) times higher than volumes previously assumed when calculating gas in place, in turn suggesting that the shale's at Buena Vista are capable of retaining greater amounts of gas.

CEO of Mainland Resources, Mike Newport states, "The new data we are receiving continues to be very encouraging.  We are continuing with the in-depth analysis and are convinced that the Burkley Phillips #1 will show that we are looking at a significant gas reservoir here."

Further evaluation of this data is being conducted to assist in creating a composite resource value from the Burkley Phillips No. 1 well and its application to the entire reservoir covered by Mainland's 28 sections of land over the Buena Vista Prospect.

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

Symbol:    MNLU – OTCQB, Symbol: 5MN; Frankfurt, WKN No.: A0ND6N

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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.