Rowan has exercised its option to build a third GustoMSC P10000 design ultra-deepwater drillship with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) with delivery scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2014.

The cost for this rig, including commissioning, project management and spares, but excluding capitalized interest is estimated to be approximately $600 million, or slightly below the cost of the first two, similarly equipped drillships ordered by the Company. As in the case of those rigs, the cost of the additional owner furnished equipment plus training and ramp-up costs is estimated to be approximately $50 million, and total costs are anticipated to be paid out of cash flow and available funds.

The agreement with HHI also includes an option, exercisable in February of 2012, for an additional drillship of the same specification for delivery in the first half of 2015.

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