Mauritania-Programme Start Up

Roc Oil Company Limited
08 August 2005




8 August 2005

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

                           2005 OFFSHORE MAURITANIA -
                    EXPLORATION DRILLING PROGRAMME START-UP

ROC announces that the Sotto-1 exploration well in Mauritania PSC A, commenced
drilling on 6 August, 2005 at 2300 GMT. The well is being drilled by the Stena
Tay drilling vessel.

Sotto-1 is located approximately 110km southwest of Nouakchott, the Mauritanian
capital, and 42km south of the Chinguetti Oil Field in a water depth of 320m.
The planned total depth of the well is 3,330m.

The well is targeting Lower Miocene canyon fill sands of approximately the same
age as the Chinguetti and Tiof oil discoveries in PSC B.

ROC's participation in the 2005 exploration drilling programme in Mauritania is
expected to include wells in the Woodside operated PSCs A, B and C6, and the
Dana operated PSC 1.

Hydrocarbon shows will only be reported after all required logs have been run
and evaluated, although ROC will release weekly updates on the exploration
drilling campaign.

Commenting upon the Sotto-1 well ROC' s CEO, Dr John Doran, stated that:

'The high risk Sotto-1 well marks the start of something that has become almost
a seasonal event over the past few years for ROC - participating in an
exploration drilling programme offshore Mauritania. Given the large size of
Mauritania's offshore area and the fact that, prior to the first modern drilling
campaign in 2001, commercial oil had not been discovered in the country, this
year's exploration drilling programme should not be viewed any differently to
its predecessors - it's another important step in our understanding of this
newly emergent hydrocarbon province which will probably provide a mix of results
typical of such frontier drilling programmes.'

Interests in PSC A and Sotto -1 are:

    Woodside (Operator)              53.846%
    Hardman                            24.3%
    BG Group                         13.084%
    Fusion/Premier                    4.615%
    ROC                               4.155%


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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