HOUSTON, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Mainland Resources, Inc. (the "Company" or "Mainland") (OTC Bulletin Board: MNLU, Frankfurt: 5MN) today announces the appointment of leading exploration and production executive, Nicholas W. Atencio, as Chief Executive and Director of the Company.

Mr. Atencio (52), who held the positions of VP of Operations Gulf of Mexico and VP of International Exploration and Production for Kerr McGee Oil & Gas Corporation, is an experienced oil and gas company executive with a record of successful green-field and development projects. He is experienced in E&P operations with strong, proactive, leadership skills in addition to proven financial and P&L knowledge. Mr. Atencio has served with large independent oil and gas companies at the senior and executive level for over 20 years.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Atencio served as the COO and Co-Founder of Remora Energy, a private company focused onshore in Colombia, where he was involved in growing the company from its inception in 2007 to its current lease holding of approximately 1 million gross acres in 11 blocks and an inaugural drilling program consisting of 11 wells with a 91% success rate resulting in the addition of 2,800 net barrels of daily production.

Mr. Atencio worked for over a decade at Houston's Apache Corporation where he held a variety of management roles in onshore and offshore US and international operations.

Mr. Atencio received his Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and began his career in 1981 at Tenneco Oil Company in Louisiana.

Mainland Chairman of the Board, Bill Thomas states, "Mr. Atencio has spent his career managing demanding onshore and offshore oil and gas operations. We are fortunate to have Nick as our new CEO. He is the kind of highly qualified individual with a proven leadership record to step into this position and direct Mainland. He is a strong leader with a great vision for our Company."

Mainland CEO, Nick Atencio adds, "It is a great privilege to join Mainland and to be involved with a company that has the potential to create such significant value for its shareholders. The Mainland team is comprised of highly motivated and professional people and it will be a pleasure to work closely with the Mainland Board as we grow the Company. I am excited about the opportunity to apply my expertise and skill sets towards focusing on execution and value creation as we build upon the historical foundations created by Mainland."

About Mainland Resources, Inc.

Mainland Resources is a company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and gas resources. The Company's current initiatives are focused on the acquisition and development of leases in emerging gas regions with the potential for discoveries including the Haynesville shale.

Symbol: MNLU – OTCBB, 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

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT -THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. 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.

EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION PRESENTED HEREIN, MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT 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 DEVELOPMENT 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.

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