Woodside, Hardman and Roc Oil all had an average day on the market. Woodside shed 18c to $11.40, Hardman dropped 5c to 53 and Roc gave up 2c to close at $1.13 as the market priced increased risk into their development planning for the Chinguetti oilfield off Mauritania.

Woodside said the oil project, Mauritania's first, should go ahead despite the failed coup attempt and the partners plan to make a final investment decision by the middle of next year.

However, the companies will be reviewing plans to commit to engineering and environmental work later this year as part of the approval process. The same was said for planning of an August appraisal well on Chinguetti and two exploration wells on nearby targets.

The project has a planned 50,000-75,000 barrel a day operation with first production set for 2006.

Reports from Mauritania say residents of the capital city were celebrating today after loyalist troops crushed the attempted coup against the Islamic republic's pro-Western President Maaouiya Ould Taya.

The attempted coup was launched amid heightened tensions in the Sahara desert country of 2.7 million people, many of them nomads, where the pro-Western position of Ould Taya's government has stirred popular resentment.

Street battles raged through the nation's capital of Nouakchott on Sunday as rebel troops stormed the presidential palace.

Reuters reported that officials said the man behind the plot was Sala Ould Henena, a former army officer dismissed for stirring opposition to Mauritania's links to Israel. The officials believe he was killed, but there was no confirmation.

Woodside holds a 35% stake in the Chinguetti project while Hardman controls a 21.6% share.

Other partners include Italian ENI SpA (35%), Premier Oil (6%), and Roc Oil Ltd (2.4%).