AUGUST 2001- RELEASES
ACTIVITY UPDATE (30-08-01)
SUMMARY

· North Sea development drilling and extended well testing ("EWT") operations are proceeding

1. DEVELOPMENT DRILLING

1.1 Kyle Oil Field, UK North Sea (ROC: 12.5%)

At 0600 on 29 August 2001, the Kyle development well 29/2c-14a, was running a wiper trip prior to making a second attempt to run 7-5/8" liner at the current depth of 3,667 m MDBRT. The well, the third well in the Kyle Field, is the first well designed to produce from the Palaeocene sands.


2. DEVELOPMENT TESTING

2.1 Chestnut Oil Field EWT, UK North Sea (ROC: 14.875% carried)

At 0600 on 29 August 2001, the Extended Well Test on well 22/2a-11x in the Chestnut Field was proceeding.

Dr John Doran
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail:
jdoran@rocoil.com.au

Return to ASX Releases main page

ACTIVITY UPDATE (24-08-01)

SUMMARY

· North Sea development drilling and extended well test ("EWT") operations are proceeding as planned

1. DEVELOPMENT DRILLING

1.1 Kyle Oil Field, UK North Sea (ROC: 12.5%)

At 0600 on 22 August 2001, 29/2c-14A well was preparing for a wiper trip prior to running 7-5/8" liner at the current depth of 12,030 ft. MDRT, having attempted logging of the secondary reservoir objective within the Palaeocene sequence.


2. DEVELOPMENT TESTING

2.1 Chestnut Oil Field EWT, UK North Sea (ROC: 14.875% carried)

At 0600 on 22 August 2001 the 22/2a-11x well was being re-opened up to flow subsequent to a pressure build-up, after production of over 250,000 barrels and the first export of crude oil from the field by tanker.


Dr John Doran
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail:
jdoran@rocoil.com.au

Return to ASX Releases main page

ACTIVITY UPDATE (16-08-01)

SUMMARY

· North Sea development drilling and extended well test ("EWT") operations are proceeding as planned

1. DEVELOPMENT DRILLING

1.1 Kyle Oil Field, UK North Sea (ROC: 12.5%)

At 0600 on the 15 August 2001 (UK time) the third development well in the Kyle Oil Field, 29/2c-14A, was at a depth of 3,307 m MDRT and was drilling ahead as a near horizontal hole in the reservoir objective.


2. DEVELOPMENT TESTING

2.1 Chestnut Oil Field EWT, UK North Sea (ROC: 14.875% carried)

The Chestnut EWT is continuing at rates in excess of 14,000 bopd. Since the EWT commenced approximately three weeks ago it has produced over 200,000 barrels of oil. If the Chestnut EWT is successful, approval will be sought from the UK Government for full field development. The Operator of the Chestnut Field, Amerada Hess Limited has paid 100% of the costs of drilling the well and conducting the EWT as part of its farmin arrangement and it will preferentially recover these costs from part of the EWT revenue.

 

Dr John Doran
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail:
jdoran@rocoil.com.au

Return to ASX Releases main page

ACTIVITY UPDATE (14-08-01)

ROC FARMS OUT 15% OF WA-286-P, OFFSHORE PERTH BASIN,
TO MITSUI & CO LTD ("MITSUI")

1. THE FARMOUT AGREEMENT

In conjunction with two of its co-venturers in WA-286-P, ROC has entered into a farmout agreement with Wandoo Petroleum Pty Ltd ("Wandoo"), a subsidiary of Mitsui, the essence of which is:

· Wandoo, will acquire a 15% interest in WA-286-P by providing ROC with an effective carry for approximately 30% of the anticipated cost of drilling the next well in the permit, Cliff Head-1.

· Subsequent to the farmout being completed, ROC will hold a 30% interest in WA-286-P and will have funded 30% of the cost of the Cliff Head-1 well.

· When the farmout is complete, Wandoo, will hold in total a 25% interest in the permit as a result of the farmout arrangement with ROC and farmouts on identical terms from two other WA-286-P participants.

· The farmout is subject to receipt of relevant government approvals.

2. THE EXPLORATION AREA
The ROC-operated WA-286-P permit is located in the northern part of the offshore Perth Basin. The Joint Venture expects to drill the Cliff Head-1 well with the Ensco 56 jack-up drilling rig in late December 2001. The exact timing of the well is subject to operational conditions and the timely completion of the drilling program that the rig will be working on immediately prior to being mobilized to the Cliff Head-1 location. Water depth at the Cliff Head-1 location is approximately 15 metres and the planned Total Depth of the well is 1,500 metres. The prospect, which represents a play type which has not been drilled previously in the offshore Perth Basin, has the potential to contain a significant amount of oil and/or gas.

 

Dr John Doran
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail:
jdoran@rocoil.com.au

Return to ASX Releases main page

ACTIVITY UPDATE (09-08-01)

SUMMARY

· First Kyle development well to specifically target Paleocene objective confirms good reservoir with oil

· Chestnut Extended Well Test ("EWT") flows at a controlled rate in excess of 15,000 BOPD


1. DEVELOPMENT DRILLING

1.1 Kyle Oil Field, UK North Sea (ROC: 12.5%)

As of 8 August, 2001, the Kyle Oil Field development well, 29/2c-14a, had set 9-5/8" casing at 2,905 metres MD and was preparing to drill horizontally in the Paleocene reservoir. Although the well is the third field development well, it is the first development well to specifically target the Paleocene sands. Logging at the current total depth has confirmed the presence of good quality, oil-bearing, Paleocene sands.


2. DEVELOPMENT TESTING

2.1 Chestnut Oil Field EWT, UK North Sea (ROC: 14.875% carried)

Following a scheduled 3-day shut in period to obtain reservoir data, the 22/2a?11x well in the Chestnut Oil Field has been brought back on stream and on 8 August, 2001, was flowing at a controlled rate of more than 15,000 BOPD

Notwithstanding scheduled shut-in periods, the well has already produced more than 100,000 barrels of oil on EWT since production began two weeks ago. If the Chestnut EWT is successful, approval will be sought from the UK Government for full field development. The Operator of the Chestnut Field, Amerada Hess Limited has paid 100% of the costs of drilling the well and conducting the EWT as part of its farmin arrangement and it will preferentially recover these costs from the EWT revenue.


Dr John Doran
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail:
jdoran@rocoil.com.au

Return to ASX Releases main page

ACTIVITY UPDATE (01-08-01)

SUMMARY

· Chestnut Field Extended Well Test ("EWT") has commenced and the well is flowing at a controlled rate of 14,000 BOPD
   with 6 MMCFD of gas.

· Development drilling at the Kyle Oil Field continues on schedule.

· Courbine-1A ST1, deepwater offshore Mauritania, is being plugged and abandoned as a sub-commercial gas discovery.

1. EXPLORATION DRILLING

1.1 Courbine-1A ST1: Area B, Offshore Mauritania (ROC: 2.4% free carried)

The Courbine-1A ST1 well reached a total depth of 4,452 metres on Thursday 26 July 2001. Preliminary wireline log analysis has been concluded. No hydrocarbons of obvious and immediate commercial significance have been encountered. Preparations are under way to plug and abandon the well as a sub-commercial gas discovery.

Commenting on the results of the Mauritanian exploration drilling programme ROC's CEO Dr John Doran stated that: "ROC believes that the two well deep water drilling programme just completed offshore Mauritania has been very successful. Chinguetti?1, for all practical purposes the first exploration well in this frontier area, appears to be an encouraging Tertiary oil discovery and Courbine-1A ST1 drilled a 9 metre gas column, also in the Tertiary. Based upon the extensive data set that has been provided by the two wells, the Joint Venture's technical understanding of the area is about to increase exponentially during the balance of 2001 prior to the next round of drilling activity which is currently expected to occur in 2002".


2. DEVELOPMENT DRILLING

2.1 Kyle Oil Field, UK North Sea (ROC: 12.5%)

As of 31 July 2001 (UK time), the third development well for the Kyle Oil Field, 29/2c-14a, had drilled to an intermediate depth of 3,070 metres MD. The well is preparing to run intermediate wireline logs prior to setting 9 5/8" casing.


3. DEVELOPMENT TESTING

3.1 EWT Chestnut Oil Field, UK North Sea (ROC: 14.875% carried)

The EWT on the 22/2a-11x well commenced on 26 July 2001 with the well flowing at a controlled flow rate of 14,000 BOPD and 6 MMCFD. The EWT will complete Phase 1 of the Chestnut development. If the EWT is successful, approval will be sought from the UK Government for full development of the Chestnut Field. The UK Department of Trade and Industry has already approved total EWT production of 1.25 million barrels. The Operator of the Chestnut Field, Amerada Hess Ltd, will preferentially recover from the EWT the costs of drilling the 22/2a-11x well and of the EWT.


Dr John Doran
Chief Executive Officer
E-mail:
jdoran@rocoil.com.au

Return to ASX Releases main page