Drilling Update - Mauritania

6 Dec 2005 07:02

Roc Oil Company Limited06 December 2005 6 December 2005 ROC OIL COMPANY LIMITED ("ROC") STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE DRILLING ACTIVITY UPDATE FAUCON-1 EXPLORATION WELL, OFFSHORE MAURITANIA. ROC advises that preliminary interpretation of drilling data and wireline loginformation obtained while drilling, indicates that the Faucon-1 explorationwell, currently being drilled in Block 1, offshore Mauritania, has encounteredhydrocarbon-bearing sandstones within the main Cretaceous target zone. Drilling has been temporarily suspended at 3,536 m while additional wirelinelogs, formation pressures, fluid and core samples are obtained. Thereafter, itis intended that the well be deepened by up to a further 700 m in order to fullyexplore the Cretaceous section. Once the additional wireline information hasbeen obtained and evaluated a further announcement will be made regardinghydrocarbon type encountered and the likely significance of the accumulation.Faucon-1 is located in 1,162 m of water, 140 km south of the Chinguetti OilField. The Joint Venture Interests in Block 1 are:+----------------------------------------+------------+| | Equity |+----------------------------------------+------------+|Dana Petroleum (E&P) Limited (Operator) |36.0% |+----------------------------------------+------------+|Gaz de France UK B.V. |24.0%* |+----------------------------------------+------------+|Tullow Oil |20.0% |+----------------------------------------+------------+|Hardman Petroleum (Mauritania) Pty |18.0% ||Limited | |+----------------------------------------+------------+|Roc Oil (Mauritania) Company |2.0% |+----------------------------------------+------------+* Subject to farmin from Dana Michelle Manook For further information please contact:General Manager - Corporate Affairs Dr John Doran on Tel: +61-2-8356-2000 Fax: +61-2-9380-2635 Email: jdoran@rocoil.com.au Or visit ROC's website: www.rocoil.com.au Dr Kevin Hird General Manager Business Development Tel: +44 (0)207 586 7935 Fax: +44 (0)207 722 3919 Email: khird@rocoil.com.au Nick Lambert Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial Tel: +44 (0)207 861 3232 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange