Mauritania Offshore Update

Roc Oil Company Limited
23 August 2005




23 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 since the last report
issued on 16 August 2005.

                    PSC Area A: Sotto-1 ST1 Exploration Well

The 'Stena Tay' drill rig drilled Sotto-1 ST1 to a final total depth 3,279
metres.

At midnight on 22 August 2005, preparations were underway to commence wireline
logging. Logs and other data acquired while drilling suggest that the well has
not encountered any significant hydrocarbons.

Following completion of wireline logging, the Sotto-1 ST1 well will be plugged
and abandoned and the 'Stena Tay' will move to the Espadon-1 exploration well in
PSC-B.

                          Chinguetti Development Wells

The 'West Navigator' drillship continues to perform completion work on
Chinguetti Development wells. 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.

                                    General

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

Joint Venture Participants have approved the drilling of 4 exploration wells
subsequent to Sotto. These are Espadon-1, Tevet-2, Labeidna-1 and Colin-1.
Tevet-2 will target a statigraphically deeper reservoir that the Tevet-1
discovery well. The locations of these 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 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

                                                                   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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