Mauritania Offshore Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
20 September 2005



20 September 2005

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

                      MAURITANIA OFFSHORE DRILLING UPDATE

ROC advises that the following release was made earlier today by Woodside
Petroleum Ltd:

'Woodside Mauritania Pty. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Woodside Petroleum
Ltd., reports the following activity offshore Mauritania since the last report
issued on 13 September 2005.

                    PSC Area B: Espadon-1A and Tevet-2 Wells

The Espadon-1A well was plugged and abandoned on 15 September 2005 following
analysis of wireline logs which indicated no significant hydrocarbons were
encountered in the well.

The Tevet-2 well was spudded on 16 September by the 'Stena Tay' drill rig and
has been drilled to a depth of 1,510 metres where casing has been set.

The Tevet-2 well is located 2.5km to the south of the discovery well Tevet-1, in
a water depth of 466 metres. The Tevet-2 well is a combined exploration and
appraisal well to both appraise the Tevet discovery and target a deeper
exploration prospect beneath the Tevet Miocene reservoir. The planned total
depth of the well is approximately 3,965 metres.

At midnight on 19 September 2005, preparations were underway to drill ahead to
the shallower of two objectives.

                          Chinguetti Development Wells

The 'West Navigator' drillship continues to perform completion work on
Chinguetti Development wells. Woodside does not plan to issue regular
announcements regarding operations on Chinguetti development wells but will do
so if necessary to comply with its continuous disclosure obligations under the
ASX Listing Rules.

                                    General

All reported drilling depths are referenced to the rig rotary table and all
times are Universal Time (UTC) (Mauritanian time).

The locations of planned exploration wells and the Chinguetti Oil Field are
shown on the attached map*.'

Participating Interests in the Chinguetti Joint Venture and relevant PSC areas
are:

  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |              Company              |Chinguetti| PSC-A  | PSC-B  | PSC-C, |
  |                                   |  Joint   |        |        |Block 6 |
  |                                   | Venture  |        |        |        |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Woodside group companies (Operator)|47.38448% |53.846% |53.846% |37.578% |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Hardman group companies            |19.00800% |24.300% |21.600% |22.422% |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Groupe Project Chinguetti          |12.00000% |   --   |   --   |   --   |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |BG group companies                 |10.23440% |13.084% |11.630% |   --   |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Premier group companies            | 8.12328% |   --   | 9.231% |   --   |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Roc Oil group companies            | 3.24984% | 4.155% | 3.693% | 5.000% |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Fusion group companies             |    --    | 4.615% |   --   |   --   |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+
  |Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn Bhd |    --    |   --   |   --   |35.000% |
  +-----------------------------------+----------+--------+--------+--------+

*Map attached to the copy of this release on ROC's website.
(http://www.rocoil.com.au/Pages/ASX_Releases/2005_Releases/September-2005.html)

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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