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.

Ocean Rig press release