Due to expire last Friday, Woodside’s offer for the Gulf of Mexico producer was extended by a week.

But investor enthusiasm for the bid, which values Energy Partners at $23 per share, has been lacklustre.

Woodside told the Australian Stock Exchange that at close of business Thursday, it had received tenders for just 63,411 shares.

The company, which made the offer through its Louisiana-based subsidiary ATS, has 38.4 million shares outstanding.

Energy Partners once again rejected the bid, describing it as an attempt to pressure its board to accept an inadequate takeover offer.

“For the second time, ATS has extended the tender offer with significantly fewer than 1% of EPL’s outstanding shares having been tendered,” Energy Partners said.

“We believe that these results demonstrate our stockholders’ continuing support for the recent decisions taken by our board.”

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Woodside said it still intends to replace all current Energy Partners board members if it gains control – a strategy it declared when the offer was first made in August.

Woodside launched its takeover offer for Energy Partners on the condition that the latter terminate its plans to buy Stone Energy.

Then on October 12, Energy Partners called off the deal and paid Stone an $8 million termination fee, saying it was in its shareholders’ best interest.

At the time, Energy Partners said it was exploring other alternatives to boost its share price, including putting itself up for sale.