ROC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Roc Oil (GB) Limited, is pleased to advise that on 12 September 2007, the Blane Oil Field started production. Gross production rates are expected to quickly rise to approximately 17,000 BOEPD (ROC: 2,125 BOEPD), almost entirely oil. Blane is tied back to the BP-operated Ula Oil Field, 34 kilometres to the northeast in Norway, from where the oil will be transported via a sub-sea pipeline to the Teeside Oil Terminal in the UK.

The Blane Oil Field, operated by Talisman Energy (UK) Limited, is located in UK Block 30/3a and Norwegian Block 1/2, about 260 kilometres east of Aberdeen. Because the field straddles the UK and Norwegian international boundary it has been unitised: 82% (UK) and 18% (Norway). As previously reported the field’s gross proved and probable (2P) reserves are estimated to be 30.4 MMBOE (ROC:3.8 MMBOE), 97% oil.