Wei-6-12S-1 Oil Discovery

Roc Oil Company Limited
19 July 2006


19 July 2006

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

                                DRILLING UPDATE
                   WEI-6-12S-1, OIL DISCOVERY, OFFSHORE CHINA

Since the last Stock Exchange Release on 12 July 2006 regarding the first
sidetrack Wei-6-12S-1Sa, drilled from the Wei-6-12S-1 oil discovery in Block 
22/12, Beibu Gulf, offshore China, a second sidetrack Wei-6-12S-1Sb commenced
drilling on 13 July 2006.

As at 0600 hours (local time) on 19 July 2006, the second sidetrack had been
drilled to a depth of 2,217 metres below Rotary Table ('mBRT') and was at a
lateral distance of about 300 metres from the original well and approximately 50
metres vertically downdip from equivalent horizons in that well.

The current operation is drilling ahead in the main reservoir section, the
Weizhou Formation, towards a proposed Total Depth of 2,849 mBRT.

The second sidetrack is a relatively aggressive step-out to the southwest of the
original discovery well. It is designed to intersect a number of the reservoir
intervals downdip from the original discovery well. While the reservoir
equivalents of the original well, expected to be encountered in the lower part
of the second sidetrack, are likely to be water-bearing because they are a
considerable distance downdip, the hope is that the second sidetrack will
encounter one or more downdip oil legs in the higher part of the Weizhou
Formation.
The second sidetrack has an exploration element which will target a specific
sand not present in the original well but may possibly be present towards the
bottom of the second sidetrack.

The detailed outcome of the drilling will not be known until next week when the
second sidetrack is expected to have been logged at Total Depth.
The Block 22/12 Joint Venture comprises*:

    Roc Oil (China) Company     40% and Operator
    Horizon Oil Limited         30%
    Petsec Energy Ltd           25%
    Oil Australia Pty Ltd**      5%

*The China National Offshore Oil Company ('CNOOC') is entitled to participate up
to a 51% funding equity level in any commercial development within Block 22/12.
** A subsidiary of First Australian Resources

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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