Mauritania Offshore Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
09 August 2005



9 August 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.

                      PSC Area A Sotto-1 Exploration Well

Following upgrade work, the 'Stena Tay' drill rig returned to Mauritanian waters
on 27 July 2005 and resumed work on Chinguetti Development wells prior to
commencing the 2005 exploration drilling program. The Sotto-1 Exploration Well
was spudded on 6 August 2005 in approximately 320 metres of water and drilling
continued to 1,146 metres. At midnight on 8 August 2005, 13-3/8 inch casing was
being run prior to drilling to the planned total depth of approximately 3,350
metres.

          Chinguetti Development Drilling and Banda Gas Injector Well

The 'West Navigator' drillship continues to perform completion work on
Chinguetti Development wells. As part of the Chinguetti Development Well program
a gas injection well has been drilled into the Banda field. This well is
currently being tested by the 'West Navigator' drill ship and the well test is
progressing as planned. The well has flowed gas at the rate of 32mmscf/d through
a 52/64 inch choke, at a surface flowing pressure of 2866 psi during the main
flow period. Testing is continuing with a reduced flow rate period for sampling
and production logging.

Gas produced in association with the Chinguetti oil production, in excess of the
Chinguetti field requirements will be injected and stored in the Banda gas
reservoir.

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.

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

The locations of Sotto-1, the Chinguetti Oil Field, the Tiof and Banda
discoveries are shown on the attached map*.

Wells are expected to be drilled in three production sharing contract areas
during the remainder of the 2005 campaign.'

Participating Interests in the Chinguetti Joint Venture and those 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 the copy of this release on ROC's website
(http://www.rocoil.com.au/Pages/ASX_Releases/2005_Releases/August-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





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