Biloxi Marsh Lands Corporation
Company History

Biloxi Marsh Lands Corporation (the “Company”) was founded during the 1930s to acquire and own the approximately 90,000 acres of wetlands in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana previously owned by the St. Bernard Syndicate group. Each member of the St. Bernard Syndicate group was an original owner of the Company.  According to the Company's original Articles of Incorporation, the initial objectives and purposes of the Company were to “buy, sell and deal in swamp lands and other real estate and goods” of “every description necessary or useful for the operation of the corporation”.  Additional purposes and objectives were “to hold, own, maintain, work, develop, sell, lease, exchange, hire, convey, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of and deal in, lands and leaseholds and any interest ” in order “to explore for oil and other minerals and to lease land of the corporation ” for such purposes.  The final purpose was to “develop” and “grant license” ...“any hunting and trapping rights of any kind” …… “to the property of the Corporation”.

The Company is incorporated in the State of Delaware with its principal offices in Metairie, Louisiana.  Its acreage is located southeast of New Orleans (see Map Images).  In the Company's early years the Company derived the majority of its income from trapping leases.  Nonetheless, it entered into its first Oil, Gas and Mineral Lease in 1936 and has executed numerous agreements which allow exploration, development and production of oil and gas on its property.  These agreements include, but are not limited to Oil, Gas and Mineral Leases, Seismic Permits, and Options to Lease.

Since May of 1957, the Company entered into a series of lease agreements with the State of Louisiana, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for the establishment and maintenance of the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area (WMA).  Under the terms of the lease agreements the Company retains the exclusive right fully explore for and develop its minerals, while providing a vast area of undeveloped wetlands for public use.  The Company is proud to provide 39,583 acres of its property for the public’s recreation and enjoyment (for additional information please see link to (Biloxi WMA).

The Company obtains alligator tags from the LDWF each year and, pursuant to the LDWF’s conservation policy, harvests alligators from its property.  In addition, the Company currently leases a portion of its surface to private individuals for hunting and fishing.  For information on available hunting or fishing leases please contact the Company Contact Us.

In the late 1990s the Company granted a seismic permit to Western Geophysical Company covering the western perimeter of the Company’s property which facilitated Western Geophysical Company’s 3D seismic survey of the Lake Borgne area.  Using the 3D seismic data acquired during this survey, Manti Resources, Inc. (Manti) successfully drilled and completed its Biloxi Marsh Lands (BML) #1 well.  On May 27, 2001 Manti completed electric logging operations on this well, logging 320 gross feet and 222 net feet of pay within the CRIS I natural gas sand interval (see Press Release Archive and Investor/Shareholder Information).  This discovery significantly increased interest within the Oil and Gas Industry in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.  Shortly thereafter as the result of the Company’s marketing effort in December of 2001 the Company and The Meridian Resource Corporation (TMR) entered into oil and gas lease agreements.  As permitted under these agreements, TMR completed a 3D seismic survey covering approximately 86,000 acres of the Company’s property which has yielded several successful well completions (see Press Release Archive and Investor/Shareholder Information).  As provided for in the lease agreements, from 2002 through 2004 TMR delivered to the Company 3D seismic data covering the Company’s property and one mile beyond the boundaries of the property in every direction.  On December 15, 2005 the primary term of the lease agreements between the Company and TMR expired.  After the expiration of these lease agreements, in early 2006 the Company and TMR commenced discussions concerning the possibility of entering into a joint exploration agreement within the area covered by the Biloxi Marsh 3D seismic survey.  Unfortunately, we were unable to reach acceptable terms with TMR and during the second quarter of 2006 discussions were terminated.  

Shortly thereafter the Company along with Lake Eugenie Land & Development, Inc. formed B&L Exploration, LLC (BLX) with the purpose of developing and placing prospects within the boundaries of 3D seismic in the Company’s possession.  Seventy-five percent of BLX is owned by the Company and twenty-five percent is owned by Lake Eugenie Land & Development, Inc.  During 2006 and early 2007 BLX placed drilling packages with the Manti Group (www.mantires.com) and a group lead by Kaiser-Francis Gulf Coast, L.L.C.  These placements resulted in BLX participating in the drilling of five wells during 2007 yielding three successful completions.  The formation of BLX represents the Company’s shift in strategy from a passive landowner to an active exploration company in an effort to increase the Company’s interest in wells drilled on its property as well as giving the Company an interest in wells located outside the boundaries of the Company’s property.