Activity Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
24 July 2006


24 July 2006

                         ROC OIL COMPANY LIMITED ('ROC')
                             STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE

                                ACTIVITY UPDATE

1.  OFFSHORE WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Roc Oil (WA) Pty Limited, Operator of exploration permits WA-286-P, WA-325-P and
TP/15 and production licence WA-31-L, offshore Western Australia advises the
following activities:

1.1  Cliff Head Oil Field Development Drilling

The ENSCO 67 jack-up drilling rig has completed development drilling of the six
production wells and two water injection wells at the Cliff Head Oil Field.

The field is producing at a rate that is better than expected, with only four of
the six production wells currently on stream, producing an average in excess of
12,000 barrels of oil per day.

1.2  Perth Basin Exploration Programme

Following completion of development drilling activities at Cliff Head, the ENSCO
67 relocated to Moondah-1 in TP/15 on 23 July 2006. The well is expected to
commence drilling later today.

Moondah-1 is located 17 km from Cliff Head and 4 km offshore from Dongara, in a
water depth of 12 metres and has a planned Total Depth of 1,330 metres.

Moondah-1 will target Late Permian reservoir sands in a large rotated fault
block in the northern part of the Beagle Ridge.

On completion of the Moondah-1 exploration well, the rig will drill the
Frankland-1 exploration well in WA-286-P. On current rig timing the programme is
expected to complete during August 2006.

A further well, Perserverance-1 in WA-325-P, is expected to be drilled if rig
timing permits.

The location of the exploration wells is shown on Attachment 1**.

Participating interests are:

+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|             Particpant              | WA-286-P & |  TP/15   | WA-325-P  |
|                                     |   WA-31-L  |          |           |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|Roc Oil (WA) Pty Limited (Operator)  |    37.5%   |  20.0%   |   37.5%   |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|Apache Northwest Pty Limited         |            |          |   37.5%   |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|ARC Energy Limited                   |            |  45.0%   |           |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|ARC (Offshore PB) Limited            |    6.0%    |          |   20.0%   |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|AWE Oil (Western Australia) Pty Ltd  |    27.5%   |  25.0%   |           |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|Wandoo Petroleum Pty Ltd             |    24.0%   |          |   5.0%    |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|Westranch Holdings Pty Limited       |            |  10.0%   |           |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+
|CIECO Exploration & Production       |    5.0%    |          |           |
|(Australia) Pty Ltd                  |            |          |           |
+-------------------------------------+------------+----------+-----------+

2.  OFFSHORE MAURITANIA

ROC advises that the 2H 2006 Mauritania Drilling Program has started with the
Atwood Hunter drill rig commencing drilling the Woodside-operated Colin-1
exploration well in PSC Area A on 21 July 2006. The well in a water depth of 168
metres will drill to a planned Total Depth of 2,320 metres. At midnight (local
time) on 23 July 2006, Colin-1 had been drilled to a depth of 254.5 metres and
the current operation was preparing to drill ahead.

On completion of the Colin-1 exploration well the Atwood Hunter will drill the
Dana operated exploration wells Flamant-1 (Block 8) and Aigrette-1 (Block 7).
Further Woodside operated exploration wells are still being considered.

The location of the exploration wells is shown on Attachment 2**.

Participating interests include:

+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|                Company                 | Woodside |  Dana   |  Dana   |
|                                        | Operated |Operated |Operated |
|                                        |  PSC-A   | Block 7 | Block 8 |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Woodside group companies                | 53.846%  | 15.000% |--       |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Hardman group companies                 | 24.300%  | 16.200% |18.000%  |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures |    --    |   --    |--       |
|(formerly GPC)                          |          |         |         |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|BG group companies                      | 13.084%  |   --    |--       |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Premier group companies                 |    --    |   --    |--       |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Roc Oil group companies                 |  4.155%  | 4.950%  |2.000%*  |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Fusion group companies                  |  4.615%  |   --    |--       |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn Bhd      |    --    |   --    |--       |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Energy Africa                           |    --    |   --    |--       |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Dana Petroleum (E&P) Limited            |    --    | 36.000% |24.000%  |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Wintershall AG                          |    --    |   --    |25.000%  |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
|Gaz de France Exploration UK B.V.       |    --    | 27.850% |31.000%  |
+----------------------------------------+----------+---------+---------+
*Option to increase to 5%

**Attachments 1 and 2 attached to the copy of this release on ROC's website.
(http://www.rocoil.com.au/Public/Announcement/2006/Activity_Update_240706.aspx)


Michelle Manook                          For further information please contact:
General Manager - Corporate Affairs                             Dr John Doran on
                                                            Tel: [phone]
                                                            Fax: [phone]
                                                     Email: [e-mail]
                                       Or visit ROC's website: www.rocoil.com.au

                                                                   Dr Kevin Hird
                                            General Manager Business Development
                                                       Tel:  [phone]
                                                       Fax:  [phone]
                                                     Email:  [e-mail]
                                                                                
                                                                    Nick Lambert
                                            Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial
                                                       Tel:  [phone]
                                                                                


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