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In accordance
with the requirements of the Australian Stock Exchange ("ASX"), ROC Oil
Company Limited hereby responds to the questions asked by the ASX in relation
to the Year 2000 issue:
"Has
your Company's assessment of its overall potential exposure to the Year
2000 problem changed materially from one the market has previously been
told? If it has, your response should describe the change."
The Company's
assessment of its potential exposure to the Year 2000 problem was initially
disclosed to the market in the Company's Prospectus dated 21 June 1999,
issued in conjunction with the Company's initial public offering. The
Company's shares were listed on the Australian Stock Exchange on 5 August
1999.
Under the
heading "Year 2000 Date Change" on page 55 of the Prospectus, the Company
commented on the Year 2000 problem. These comments included the following
statement:
"In common
with other users of computers and other systems utilising digital technology,
the Company is investigating if, and to what extent, the date change from
1999 to 2000 may affect its systems. The Company has established a programme
designed to ensure that the impact on the Company of the transition to
the Year 2000 is minimised by seeking to ensure that the Companyıs key
networks and systems are Year 2000 compliant before 31 December 1999."
The Company's
assessment of its potential exposure to the Year 2000 problem has not
changed materially from that stated in its Prospectus.
"Has
your Company initiated any material action to address the Year 2000 problem
beyond actions previously disclosed to the market or does it propose to
initiate any such action? If it has, your response should describe the
action."
Please refer
to the response to question 1 above and to the responses to the other
questions set out below.
"Please
provide details of your Company's progress in relation to its activities
to address the Year 2000 problem, including the date by which your Company
expects to have completed those activities."
Following
the acquisition by the Company of the United Kingdom assets of Morrison
Middlefield Resources Limited (as described in the Company's Prospectus),
the Company's activities are managed from offices in three locations,
namely:
Sydney,
Australia (head office);
Saxilby and Welton in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom; and
Mongolia.
Details of
the Company's progress in relation to addressing the Year 2000 problem
with respect to each of the above locations are set out as follows:
Sydney
Office
The Company established a Year 2000 project in early 1999 with the objective
of ensuring that its core business areas and processes will continue to
function without disruption beyond 31 December 1999.
The key area
of exposure has been identified to be the Company's information technology
systems including personal computers, work stations and network facilities.
All Sydney
Office information technology systems and related equipment have been
independently tested by an external consultant, Lanrex Consulting Services
Pty Ltd, and have been found to be Y2K compliant.
The manufacturers
of potentially date sensitive office equipment (such as photocopiers and
printers) have confirmed that such equipment is Y2K compliant. Since ROC
is a relatively young company, having been founded in late 1996, its systems
and equipment are also relatively young and this has been a significant
factor in the Company's Y2K compliance programme.
Saxilby-Welton
(Lincolnshire)
Roc Oil (UK) Limited (formerly known as Candecca Resources Limited prior
to the completion of the takeover of its parent company, Morrison Middlefield
Resources Limited, by ROC Oil Company Limited) ("Roc UK") instituted a
Y2K compliance programme in early 1998.
The programme
identified date sensitive embedded systems in Roc UK's Welton Gathering
Centre facility and well-sites as the major area of concern.
A programme
of inventory, risk assessment, replacement and testing was then carried
out to the standards required by the British Standards Institution DISC
PD2000 series of documents to ensure that IT systems were Y2K compliant.
The only outstanding project in this programme is to upgrade a telemetry
system at the Welton Gathering Centre and this will be completed by the
first week of November 1999.
Third party
supplier Y2K audits and suppliers' Y2K compliance documentation in respect
of critical components will also be completed or obtained by the first
week of November 1999. In addition, installation and testing of all relevant
and currently available Y2K computer software upgrade programmes will
be complete by that date. The entire Roc UK Y2K compliance programme will
then be complete.
Mongolia
The Company has two sites in Mongolia, the main office in Ulaanbaatar
and a field base camp in Zuunbayan, some 500km south of the main office.
In the main
office in Ulaanbaatar, testing has been carried out on IT systems as well
as on all other date dependent office equipment, and some older computers
have been identified as not Y2K compliant. It is intended to replace these
non-compliant computers with Y2K compliant units by the end of October
1999, since this is the most cost-effective solution. When these computers
are replaced, a further compliance test of Ulaanbaatar office IT systems
will be carried out.
ROC is testing
the IT systems and date dependent equipment in the field camp facility.
However, since modern computers and related equipment have recently been
installed, no compliance issues are expected to arise. Testing is due
to be completed by the end of October 1999.
"Are
there areas of your Company's activities where, in your Company's assessment,
material Year 2000 risks will remain after the Company's activities to
address the Year 2000 problem are completed? Examples might include dependencies
on third parties such as utilities. If there will be remaining risks,
your response should describe them."
Obviously,
the Company is dependent upon utilities providers such as electricity,
water, and telecommunications suppliers being Y2K compliant.
The building
occupied by the Company's Sydney head office is managed by Westfield Shopping
Centre Management (QLD) Pty Limited and the Company is in discussion with
the building manager regarding Y2K compliance of building services and
systems. Building services to the offices in Saxilby, Welton and Ulaanbaatar
are not date dependent.
In relation
to the Roc UK operations, the third party supplier audit and critical
component Y2K documentation referred to above will ensure that third party
suppliers of IT related services and equipment meet the British Standards
Institution DISC PD2000 series of documents and will therefore be Y2K
compliant. If such compliance cannot be verified, Roc UK will have the
option to re-source the service.
"Please
describe your Company's contingency plan in relation to Year 2000 issues."
Roc UK has
contingency plans in place in relation to each critical aspect of the
UK production operations, which will permit continuing production from
the Welton Gathering Centre.
In the case
of Mongolia, a "state of the art" satellite telephone system has been
installed and can be used in the event that the local telephone system
breaks down. A power switch-over system is already in place and if the
local power supply fails, all systems can be powered by the Company's
generator, which is not date dependent. In any event, it is intended to
shut-in production operations in Mongolia during the northern winter.
Bruce Clement
Company Secretary
For further
information please contact: Bruce Clement on + 61 2 8356 2000
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