Mauritania Drilling Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
23 December 2005



23 December 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 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 (by Woodside) on 22 November 2005.

                 PSC Area C, Block 6: Zoule-1 Exploration Well

The 'Stena Tay' drill rig is expected to resume exploration drilling for
Woodside operated joint ventures in Mauritania next week.

The next well to be drilled will be the Zoule-1 exploration well in PSC Area C,
Block 6. The well will target a Cretaceous objective and has a planned total
depth of approximately 3730 metres.

Following Zoule-1, the Dore-1 exploration well will be drilled in PSC Area B to
target late Paleogene and early Miocene objectives.

Woodside anticipates issuing the next Mauritania Offshore Drilling Update on 3
January 2006 unless it is necessary to issue an earlier release 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      | 47.38448% | 53.846% | 53.846% | 37.578%  |
  |(Operator)                    |           |         |         |          |
  +------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+----------+
  |Hardman group companies       | 19.00800% |  24.3%  |  21.6%  | 22.422%  |
  +------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+----------+
  |Groupe Project Chinguetti     | 12.00000% |   --    |   --    |    --    |
  +------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+----------+
  |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|    --     |   --    |   --    |  35.0%   |
  |Bhd                           |           |         |         |          |
  +------------------------------+-----------+---------+---------+----------+

(*Map attached to copy release on ROC's website: 
http://www.rocoil.com.au/Pages/ASX_Releases/2005_Releases/December-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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