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EXHIBIT 10.52

                   COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
                                
              Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967
                                
            EXPLORATION PERMIT FOR PETROLEUM VIC/P39
                                
I, PATRICK McNAMARA, the Designed Authority in respect of the
area specified as being adjacent to the State of Victoria acting
for and on behalf of the Commonwealth   Victoria Offshore
Petroleum Joint Authority, hereby, subject to the conditions set
out hereunder, grand to:

               MOSAIC OIL NL
               11th Floor
               15-17 Young Street
               SYDNEY  NSW  2000

               EURO PACIFIC ENERGY PTY LTD.
               133 Edward Street
               PERTH  WA  6000

               INDO PACIFIC ENERGY PTY LTD.
               249 Karori Road
               Wellington
               NEW ZEALAND

an exploration permit for petroleum numbered VIC/P39

a)   in respect of each of the blocks that is at the date of this
permit constituted by a graticular section, or by part of a
graticular section, described hereunder; and

b)   where, at any time during the term of this permit, a
graticular section, or part of a graticular section, so described
hereunder constitutes a block.

This permit has an effect for a period of six (6) years from the
date hereof.

INTERPRETATION

In this Permit, "the Act" means the Act under which this Permit
is granted and includes any Act with which that Act is
incorporated and words used in this Permit have the same
respective meanings as in the Act.






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DESCRIPTION OF BLOCKS

In the adjacent area of the State of Victoria

MELBOURNE Sheet SJ55 prepared and published for the purposes of
the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967.

A.   BLOCKS

MELBOURNE MAP SHEET
                                
BLOCK NO. BLOCK NO. BLOCK NO. BLOCK NO. 
1992      2061      2062      2063 
2064      2065      2066      2136 
2137      2138      2139      

Assessed to contain 11 blocks

CONDITIONS

1.   (1)  Subject to sub-clause (2), during a year of the term of
the permit set out in the first column of the following table,
the permittee:

(a)  shall carry out in or in relation to the permit area, to a
standard acceptable to the Designated Authority, the work
specified in the minimum work requirements set out opposite that
year in the second column of the table;

(b)  may carry out in or in relation to the permit area, to a
standard acceptable to the Designated Authority, all or part of
the work specified in the minimum work requirements of a
subsequent year or years of that term set out opposite that year
or those years in the second column of the table; and

(c)  may carry out in or in relation to the permit area, to a
standard acceptable to the Designated Authority, work in addition
to the work specified in the minimum work requirements set out
opposite that year and in the subsequent year or years, if any,
of that term in the second column of the table.

(2)  The permittee shall not commence any works or petroleum
exploration operations in the permit area except with, and in
accordance with the approval in writing of the Designated
Authority or of a person authorised by the Designated Authority
to give that approval.

(3)  For the purposes of this clause, any work carried out in
accordance with paragraph (1)(b) shall, if the Designated
Authority in his discretion by instrument in writing so approves,
be treated as if it had been carried out in the subsequent year
or years of the term of the permit specified by the Designated
Authority in that instrument.

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                                   Estimated
                                   Expenditure
Year of Term                       In Constant
Of Permit Minimum Work             Dollars 
Requirements                       (indicative only)   

First     Data Review
          Seismic Reprocessing       250,000 
Second    500 Km 2D Seismic Survey   750,000 
Third     One (1) Well             6,500,000 
Fourth    Data Review
          Seismic Reprocessing       250,000 
Fifth     500 Km 2D Seismic Survey   750,000 
Sixth     One (1) Well             6,500,000 

1A.  During the first 3 year period of the term of the permit the
permittee must complete the work specified in the minimum work
requirements for the years in the period.

2.   The permittee shall not recover any petroleum from the
permit area except as a result of production testing of a well.

3.   The permittee shall not construct any installation or
install any equipment in the permit area except with and in
accordance with the approval in writing of the Designated
Authority or a person authorised in writing by the Designated
Authority to give that approval.

4.   The permittee shall not abandon, suspend or complete any
well except with and in accordance with the approval of the
Designated Authority or of a person authorised by the Designated
Authority to give that approval.

5.   In carrying out its operations in the permit area the
permittee shall take adequate measures for the protection of the
environment.

6.   The permittee shall at all times comply with

(a)  the provisions of the Act and of any regulations for the
time being in force under the Act; and

(b)  all Directions given to him under the Act or the Regulations
for the time being, in force under the Act.

7.   It is a condition of this Exploration Permit for Petroleum
that the Permittee complies with the requirements of Section 97A
of the Act.

Dated at Melbourne this 31st day of July 1997


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MADE under the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967 of the 
Commonwealth of Australia on behalf of the Commonwealth  
Victoria Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority.

/s/ P. McNamara
DESIGNATED AUTHORITY