OCEAN RIG UDW INC. ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF OFFERING OF $800 MILLION OF 6.50% SENIOR SECURED NOTES DUE 2017 BY ITS WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY

Nicosia, Cyprus - September 20, 2012 - Ocean Rig UDW 
Inc. (NASDAQ: ORIG) (the "Company" or "Ocean Rig"), a 
global provider of offshore deepwater drilling 
services, announced today the closing of the offering 
of $800.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 
6.50% senior secured notes due 2017 (the "Notes") by 
its wholly owned subsidiary, Drill Rigs Holdings Inc. 
(the "Issuer").  The Notes, which were sold in a 
private offering within the United States to qualified 
institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the 
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities 
Act"), and to certain other persons outside of the 
United States in reliance on Regulation S under the 
Securities Act, were issued at a price equal to 
99.469% of their face value. 

The Notes are guaranteed by Ocean Rig and certain of 
the Issuer's existing and future subsidiaries and the 
Notes and the related guarantees are secured by 
certain assets of, and by a pledge of the stock of, 
the Issuer and the subsidiary guarantors.

Ocean Rig will use the net proceeds of this offering 
to fully repay all outstanding indebtedness under its 
$1.04 billion senior secured credit facility, 
amounting to approximately $487.5 million as of June 
30, 2012, and for the purposes of financing offshore 
drilling rigs, and to pay all fees and expenses 
associated therewith.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to 
sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes 
and the related guarantees, nor shall there be any 
sale of the Notes and the related guarantees in any 
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale 
is unlawful. Any offer of the Notes and related 
guarantees will be made only by means of a private 
offering memorandum. 

The Notes and the related guarantees have not been, 
and will not be, registered under the Securities Act 
or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and 
may not be offered or sold in the United States absent 
registration or an applicable exemption from 
registration requirements under the Securities Act. 

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this release may constitute 
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements 
relate to Ocean Rig's expectations, beliefs, 
intentions or strategies regarding the future. These 
statements may be identified by the use of words like 
"anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," 
"intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should," "seek," 
and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements 
reflect Ocean Rig's current views and assumptions with 
respect to future events and are subject to risks and 
uncertainties. 

The forward-looking statements in this release are 
based upon various assumptions, may of which are 
based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including 
without limitation, management's examination of 
historical operating trends, data contained in Ocean 
Rig's records and other data available from third 
parties. Although Ocean Rig believes that these 
assumptions were reasonable when made, because these 
assumptions are inherently subject to significant 
uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or 
impossible to predict and are beyond Ocean Rig's 
control, Ocean Rig cannot assure you that it will 
achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or 
projections described in the forward-looking 
statements contained herein. Actual and future results 
and trends could differ materially from those set 
forth in such statements. 

Important factors that, in Ocean Rig's view, could 
cause actual results to differ materially from those 
discussed in the forward-looking statements include 
(i) factors related to the offshore drilling market, 
including supply and demand, utilization, day rates 
and customer drilling programs; (ii);hazards inherent 
in the drilling industry and marine operations causing 
personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to or 
destruction of property and equipment, pollution or 
environmental damage, claims by third parties or 
customers and suspension of operations; (iii) changes 
in laws and governmental regulations, particularly 
with respect to environmental matters; (iv) the 
availability of competing offshore drilling vessels; 
(v) political and other uncertainties, including risks 
of terrorist acts, war and civil disturbances; piracy; 
significant governmental influence over many aspects 
of local economies, seizure; nationalization or 
expropriation of property or equipment; repudiation, 
nullification, modification or renegotiation of 
contracts; limitations on insurance coverage, such as 
war risk coverage, in certain areas; political unrest; 
foreign and U.S. monetary policy and foreign currency 
fluctuations and devaluations; the inability to 
repatriate income or capital; complications associated 
with repairing and replacing equipment in remote 
locations; import-export quotas, wage and price 
controls or any other imposition of trade barriers; 
regulatory or financial requirements to comply with 
foreign bureaucratic actions; changing taxation 
policies; and other forms of government regulation and 
economic conditions that are beyond our control; (vi) 
the performance of our rigs; (vii) our ability to 
procure or have access to financing and comply with 
our loan covenants; (viii) our ability to successfully 
employ our drilling units; (ix) our capital 
expenditures, including the timing and cost of 
completion of capital projects; and (x) our revenues 
and expenses. Due to such uncertainties and risks, 
investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance 
upon such forward-looking statements. 

Contact: 

Investor Relations / Media:
Nicolas Bornozis
Capital Link, Inc. (New York)
Tel. 212-661-7566
E-mail:  
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OCEAN RIG UDW INC. ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF OFFERING OF $800 MILLION OF 6.50% SENIOR SECURED NOTES DUE 2017 BY ITS WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY