MENA Hydrocarbons Update

MENA Hydrocarbons Inc. ("MENA" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:MNH) is pleased to
announce the following operational update.


Activities on the Company's 100% owned Lagia oil field in Egypt have
re-commenced. A new progressive cavity pump ("PCP") has been installed in the
Lagia well #9 which has produced over the last 12 days at an average stabilized
rate of 90 barrels per day of approximately 16 degree API oil gravity. This PCP
replaces the original sucker rod pump that was previously installed in Lagia #9.


MENA has also completed installation of required production facilities in the
field with three oil storage tanks, a water tank, and a 500 barrel fuel tank and
has connected all producing wells with flow lines.


Lagia wells #8 and #10, which were also drilled in 2012 and designed for steam
injection, will be placed on production following an initial steam injection
cycle to begin next month. The Company has signed an agreement with an
experienced Middle East steam operator, Steamtech and Co. LLC, to provide steam
injection equipment and personnel to start the steam injection operation in the
field. Given the quality of sandstone reservoir and oil gravity, it is expected
that production volumes from the wells will be significantly improved.


The two remaining production wells in the field, Lagia #6 and #7, were drilled
by a previous operator and were not completed with thermal casing, however,
their flow rates are expected to increase from their current 22 barrels per day
with steam injection into the other nearby wells.


DeGolyer and MacNaughton Canada Limited evaluated the Lagia oil field and
estimated the field's proved plus probable reserves to be 4.0 million barrels of
oil and its proved plus probable plus possible to be 10.5 million barrels of
oil. See below for additional information regarding our reserves disclosure. The
Company plans to develop its reserves with primary and thermal recovery methods.
The engineered development plan calls for up to 55 wells for full development of
this current engineered Lagia fault block. MENA believes adjacent fault blocks
may also be oil bearing.


The Company also plans to drill a 5,000 ft exploration well in the first half of
2013 to identify the source of 38 degree API oil that was recovered in the Lagia
concession by a previous operator while drilling South Lagia #1. A location has
been selected based on existing seismic data, and materials for the well have
been purchased.


To date, the Company has delivered 4,600 barrels of crude oil inventory for sale
to the General Petroleum Corporation of Egypt at an agreed price of $77 per
barrel. 


MENA is proceeding to complete the previously announced $500,000 private
placement and has also received approximately $2.5 million of advances by
certain officers, directors and shareholders of the Company. In addition, the
Company is continuing its efforts to sell its Montana assets. These funds will
be utilized to settle some of the Company's outstanding payables and continue
operations in Egypt.


About the Lagia Oil Field 

MENA is the sole participant in the joint venture company with EGPC, PetroSinai
which operates the Lagia Development Lease covering a 32 square kilometre block
of land located on the Sinai Peninsula, directly adjacent to the Gulf of Suez.
In addition to the wells drilled by MENA in 2012, four wells had been drilled
between the years 1949 to 2000 that had identified the Lagia oil field. Three
producing oil fields, Sudr, Matarma and Asl, are located as close as 26 km to
the north of the Lagia oil field.


About MENA Hydrocarbons

MENA Hydrocarbons is an international oil and gas company focused on growing an
asset base of production, development and high impact exploration in the Middle
East and North Africa region. In Egypt, MENA owns and operates the development
lease for the Lagia oil field, a 32 square kilometre onshore block located on
the Sinai Peninsula, directly adjacent to the Gulf of Suez. In Syria, MENA owns
a 30% participating interest in Block 9 in Syria, a 10,032 square kilometre
onshore block prospective for crude oil, natural gas and condensate. In the
United States, MENA owns 6,242 gross acres (with an 81.2% average working
interest) in Northwestern Montana with light/medium oil reserves. MENA's shares
currently trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "MNH".


Forward looking information 

This news release contains forward-looking information relating to reserve
estimates and planned development and exploration activities on the properties
in which the Company has interests. Such forward-looking information is subject
to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The results or events
predicated in this forward-looking information may differ materially from actual
results or events. The recovery and reserve estimates of MENA's reserves
provided herein are estimates only and there is no guarantee that the estimated
reserves will be recovered. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking information.


Forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions
regarding, among other things, the Company maintaining its stock exchange
listing; the availability of financing on acceptable terms or at all and the
timing such financing is needed; the impact of increasing competition; the
general stability of the economic and political environments in which the
Company operates or owns interests; the timely receipt of any required
regulatory approvals; the ability of the Company to obtain qualified staff,
equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results;
the ability of the operator of the projects which the Company has an interest in
to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the ability of
the Company to obtain financing on acceptable terms; field production rates and
decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves
through acquisition, development of exploration; the timing and costs of
pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of the
Company to secure adequate product transportation; future oil and natural gas
prices; currency, exchange and interest rates; the regulatory framework
regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in
which the Company operates; and the ability of the Company to successfully
market its oil and natural gas products, and other similar matters. While the
Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information
currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.


Forward looking-information is subject to certain factors, including risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is
currently expected. These factors include risks associated with the Company's
ability to successfully maintain its stock exchange listing, the availability of
capital on acceptable terms or at all and the timing such capital is needed,
instability of the economic and political environments in which the Company
operates or owns interests, oil and gas exploration, development, exploitation,
production, marketing and transportation, loss of markets, volatility of
commodity prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates,
environmental risks, competition from other producers, inability to retain
drilling rigs and other services, incorrect assessment of the value of
acquisitions, the inability to settle the definitive terms of the farmout
arrangements, failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions,
delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals and
ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources,
reliance on key personnel, regulatory risks and delays, including risks relating
to the acquisition of necessary licenses and permits, environmental risks and
insurance risks.


You should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should
not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect
to, the Company is under no obligation and does not undertake to update this
information at any particular time, except as required by law. 


About our reserves disclosure

The reserve estimates set forth in this news release have been evaluated by an
independent qualified evaluator in accordance National Instrument 51-101 -
Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities and the Canadian Oil and Gas
Evaluation Handbook and is effective December 31, 2011. The reserves have been
categorized in accordance with the definitions as set out in the COGE Handbook,
which are set out below:


"Proved reserves" are those reserves that can be estimated with a high degree of
certainty to be recoverable. It is likely that the actual remaining quantities
recovered will exceed the estimated proved reserves.


"Probable reserves" are those additional reserves that are less certain to be
recovered than proved reserves. It is equally likely that the actual remaining
quantities recovered will be greater or less than the sum of the estimated
proved plus probable reserves.


"Possible reserves" are those additional reserves that are less certain to be
recovered than probable reserves. There is a 10% probability that the quantities
actually recovered will equal or exceed the sum of proved plus probable plus
possible reserves.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 
MENA Hydrocarbons Inc.
Magdy Bassaly
President and Chief Executive Officer
5 Hassan Hafez Street Saraia Elqoba, Cairo Egypt
Cell: 201222101582


Jason Bednar
Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer
1000, 205 - 5th Avenue S.W. - Calgary, AB T2P 2V7
[phone]
[phone] (FAX)
www.menahydrocarbons.com