Mauritania Drilling Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
18 October 2004




18 October 2004



                        ROC OIL COMPANY LIMITED ('ROC')
                                        
                             STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE
                                        
                                        
                                        
                      MAURITANIA OFFSHORE DRILLING UPDATE





PSC - C2, Dorade-1

ROC advises that the Dorade-1 exploration well in PSC-C2, offshore Mauritania is
being plugged and abandoned after failing to encounter hydrocarbons. The well
was drilled to a total depth of 2,622 m subsea in a water depth of 1,670 m.

Participating Interests in PSC-C2 are:

Woodside group companies (operator) 48.0%
Hardman group companies 28.8%
ROC group companies 3.2%
Energy Africa 20.0%






Bruce Clement
Chief Operating Officer                  For further information please contact:
                                                                Dr John Doran on
                                                            Tel: [phone]
                                                            Fax: [phone]
                                                    E-mail: [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]
                                                                                
                                                   Ann-Marie Wilson/Nick Lambert
                                            Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial
                                                        Tel: [phone]



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