Houston, TX - Dec. 6, 2010 - Mainland Resources, Inc. (the "Company" or "Mainland") (OTCQB: MNLU, Frankfurt: 5MN) (www.mainlandresources.com) announces that it has engaged Baker-Hughes Inteq and Core Lab Petroleum Services to capture and analyze a full core of the Haynesville Shale at its Burkley-Phillips #1 well on the Buena Vista prospect located in Jefferson County, Mississippi.

Mainland has drilled approximately 400 feet into the Haynesville Shale to a depth of 20,415 feet and continues to drill on schedule to the programmed total depth of 22,000 feet whereby the Company will log the well.

Mainland will begin operations to capture a 60-foot full core at the current depth of 20,415 feet. The Company anticipates it will start the coring process during the week of December 5-10, 2010. It is expected the coring process will take approximately 24 to 48 hours.

Upon recovering the core, a comprehensive analysis will be conducted by Core Lab Petroleum Services to extract the critical information necessary to qualify and quantify the prospectivity of the Haynesville Shale within the cored interval. Specifically, information related to volumes of gas in place within the matrix, porosity, permeability, gas quality, mineralogy and total organic content will be directly analyzed from the full core.

Nick Atencio, CEO, states, "Mainland is now entering into one of the most exciting stages of our Buena Vista prospect. We will begin operations to extract information directly from the Haynesville Shale. The information derived from this core, combined with logging data, will allow us to bypass most of what is typically indirect and less accurate theoretical assessments of prospectivity and more accurately measure the reservoir quality of the cored interval. We are very encouraged by our progress to date, and with 17,800 acres currently under lease, we have a lot of room to run. "

The Company will provide continuous information and updates on the Haynesville Shale formation as it becomes available from our ongoing drilling and analyses.

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

Contact: Investor Relations (USA)
Toll-Free North America +1-877-662-3668

Investor Relations (Europe)
Tel. +49-69-7593-8408

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.

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.