OCEAN RIG UDW INC. ANNOUNCES SIGNING OF THREE YEAR DRILLING CONTRACT FOR THE OCEAN RIG MYLOS AND EXTENSION OF THE EXPIRY DATE FOR ITS NEWBUILDING OPTIONS

Nicosia, Cyprus - September 5, 2012 - Ocean Rig UDW 
Inc. (NASDAQ:ORIG) (the "Company" or "Ocean Rig"), a 
global provider of offshore deepwater drilling 
services, announced today that it has signed 
definitive documentation, following the previously 
announced Letter of Intent, for the Ocean Rig Mylos, a 
7th generation drillship, with Repsol Sinopec Brasil 
S.A. The Ocean Rig Mylos is currently being 
constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard and 
is scheduled for delivery in July 2013. It is the 
first in a series of three 7th generation drillships 
Ocean Rig expects to take delivery of during the 
second half of 2013 from Samsung. The drilling 
contract is for a 3-year period, commencing upon 
delivery of the drillship from the shipyard, for 
drilling offshore Brazil, with an estimated revenue 
backlog of approximately $700 million. Under the 
contract, Repsol also has options to extend the 
contract for up to two years beyond the initial three-
year contract period.

The company further announced that it has agreed with 
Samsung Heavy Industries to extend, at no additional 
cost, the deadline of exercising its options to 
construct up to three additional ultra-deepwater 
drillships, to March 31, 2013. 

About Ocean Rig

Ocean Rig is an international offshore drilling 
contractor providing oilfield services for offshore 
oil and gas exploration, development and production 
drilling, and specializing in the ultra-deepwater and 
harsh-environment segment of the offshore drilling 
industry. The company owns and operates 9 offshore 
ultra deepwater drilling units, comprising of 2 ultra 
deepwater semisubmersible drilling rigs and 7 ultra 
deepwater drillships, 3 of which remain to be 
delivered to the company during 2013.

Visit the Company's website at www.ocean-rig.com.

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 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:  
Social Media Pitch:
OCEAN RIG UDW INC. ANNOUNCES SIGNING OF THREE YEAR DRILLING CONTRACT FOR THE OCEAN RIG MYLOS AND EXTENSION OF THE EXPIRY DATE FOR ITS NEWBUILDING OPTIONS