EastCoal Inc.: TSX-V Approval Received for the Conversion of Aponet Enterprises Limited Debenture Into Common Shares

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/12/13 -- EastCoal Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ECX)(AIM: ECX) ("EastCoal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received TSX-V approval for the conversion of the US$4 million Aponet Enterprises Limited debenture into 17,391,305 common shares of EastCoal Inc. effective 12 March 2013 as detailed in today's earlier announcement. The new common shares, which rank equally with the existing common shares in the Company, are expected be admitted to trading on AIM and the TSX-V on 18 March 2013.

Following admission of the new common shares, the Company will have 343,048,493 common shares in issue, which will represent the total number of voting rights in the Company. This figure should be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FSA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

About EastCoal Inc.

EastCoal Inc. is currently producing coking coal from the Menzhinsky mine, which is operated by its 100% owned subsidiary Inter-Invest Coal, and developing the Verticalnaya anthracite mine, which is operated by its 100% owned subsidiary East Coal Company.

This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, EastCoal assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

EastCoal Inc.

Abraham Jonker

President

+1 (604) 681-8069/ +1 604 992 5600 (Cell)


EastCoal Inc.

George Lawton

CFO
www.eastcoal.ca


Cenkos Securities plc

Ken Fleming/Alan Stewart/Derrick Lee

+44 (0) 131 220 6939


Tavistock Communications

Jos Simson/Emily Fenton/Mike Bartlett

+44 (0) 207 920 3150