Exploration Drilling Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
19 April 2006


19 April 2006

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

                          EXPLORATION DRILLING UPDATE

1.  Jacala-1, WA-351-P, Carnarvon Basin, Offshore Western Australia (ROC: 20%)

ROC advises that as at 0600 hours Western Standard Time on 19 April 2006, the
Atwood Eagle deep water semi-submersible drilling rig had drilled the BHP
Billiton-operated Jacala-1 exploration wildcat well, to a Total Depth of 2,217
metres below rotary table. Current operation is pulling out of the hole prior to
formation evaluation.

Until the formation evaluation programme is completed and the log data analysed,
it is not possible to be definitive about the results of the well. However, at
this stage obvious hydrocarbon shows have not been observed in the well. The
logging programme is expected to be completed by the end of this week after
which a further announcement will be made.

Jacala-1 is located in about 1,060 metres of water approximately 200 km west of
Barrow Island and 100 km northwest of the Enfield Oil and Gas Field.

The WA-351-P Joint Venture comprises:

BHP Billiton Petroleum (North West Shelf) Pty Ltd    55% & Operator
Tap (Shelfal) Pty Ltd                                25%
Roc Oil (WA) Pty Ltd                                 20%

2.  Willows-1, PEDL030, Onshore UK (ROC: 100% & Operator)

The ROC Explorer rig is drilling the Willows-1 exploration wildcat well and as
of 2030 hrs UK time on 18 April 2006 the well had been drilled to a depth of 688
metres and the operation was drilling ahead towards the next casing point
expected at approximately 750 metres. Total Depth is expected to be about 2,500
metres. Willows-1 is a potentially large gas prospect located about 55 km east
of York and 15 km south of Scarborough.

3.  Wei-6-12-S-1, Block 22/12, Offshore China (ROC: 40% and Operator)

The COSL 931 jack-up drilling rig is currently scheduled to commence drilling
the Wei-6-12-S-1 exploration well during the course of next week. The well is
located in approximately 30 metres of water about 3 km southwest of the 2002
small oil discovery - Wei-6-12-1, and is expected to take about 21 days to
drill.

The Block 22/12 Joint Venture comprises:

Roc Oil (China) Company                                 40% & Operator
Horizon Oil Limited                                     30%
Petsec Petroleum Inc                                    25%
Oil Australia Pty Ltd**                                  5%
** subsidiary of First Australian Resources Limited


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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