Mauritania Drilling Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
24 January 2006



24 January 2006

                         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 Petroleum Ltd. reports the following activity by its wholly-owned
subsidiaries Woodside Mauritania Pty. Ltd. and WEL Mauritania B.V. offshore
Mauritania since the last report issued on 17 January 2006.

                      PSC Area B: Dore-1 Exploration Well

The 'Stena Tay' drilled the Dore-1 exploration well to a depth of 1,993 metres.
At midnight on 23 January 2006, preparations were underway to case the hole
before drilling ahead to a planned total depth of approximately 2,388 metres.

                                    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% |  24.3%  |  21.6%  | 22.422% |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+
|Societe Mauritanienne des           | 12.00000% |    --   |    --   |    --   |
|Hydrocarbures (formerly GPC)        |           |         |         |         |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+
|BG group companies                  | 10.23440% | 13.084% |  11.63% |    --   |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+
|Premier group companies             | 8.12328%  |    --   |  9.231% |    --   |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+
|ROC Oil group companies             | 3.24984%  |  4.155% |  3.693% |   5.0%  |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+
|Fusion group companies              |    --     | 4. 615% |    --   |    --   |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+
|Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn Bhd  |    --     |    --   |    --   |  35.0%  |
+------------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+---------+

*Map attached to the copy of this release on ROC's website
(http://www.rocoil.com.au/Public/Investor_Centre/Announcements.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]




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange