Item 3.                     Key Information

A.            Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data

The following table sets forth our selected historical consolidated financial and other data, at the dates and for the periods indicated. The selected historical consolidated financial data are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or U.S. GAAP.

The selected historical consolidated financial and other data should be read in conjunction with "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and the audited consolidated financial statements, the related notes thereto and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this annual report.

 

 

 

 

(1)  EBITDA represents net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is a non-U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP, measure and does not represent and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operations, as determined by GAAP or other GAAP measures, and our calculation of EBITDA may not be comparable to that reported by other companies. EBITDA is included herein because it is a basis upon which we measure our operations.

 

 

 

 

 

B.             Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C.             Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D.             Risk Factors

Some of the following risks relate principally to the industry in which we operate and our business in general. Other risks relate principally to the securities market and ownership of our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events described in this section could significantly and negatively affect our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flows or our ability to pay dividends, if any, in the future, or the trading price of our common stock.

Risks Relating to Our Industry

Our business depends on the level of activity in the offshore oil and gas industry, which is significantly affected by, among other things, volatile oil and gas prices and may be materially and adversely affected by a decline in the offshore oil and gas industry.

The offshore contract drilling industry is cyclical and volatile. Our business depends on the level of activity in oil and gas exploration, development and production in offshore areas worldwide. The availability of quality drilling prospects, exploration success, relative production costs, the stage of reservoir development and political and regulatory environments affect customers' drilling programs. Oil and gas prices and market expectations of potential changes in these prices also significantly affect this level of activity and demand for drilling units.

Oil and gas prices are extremely volatile and are affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including the following:

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worldwide production and demand for oil and gas and any geographical dislocations in supply and demand;

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the cost of exploring for, developing, producing and delivering oil and gas;

 

 

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expectations regarding future energy prices;

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advances in exploration, development and production technology;

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the ability of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, to set and maintain levels and pricing;

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the level of production in non-OPEC countries;

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government regulations;

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local and international political, economic and weather conditions;

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domestic and foreign tax policies;

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development and exploitation of alternative fuels;

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the policies of various governments regarding exploration and development of their oil and gas reserves; and

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the worldwide military and political environment, including uncertainty or instability resulting from an escalation or additional outbreak of armed hostilities, insurrection or other crises in the Middle East or other geographic areas or further acts of terrorism in the United States, or elsewhere.

In addition to oil and gas prices, the offshore drilling industry is influenced by additional factors, including:

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the availability of competing offshore drilling vessels and the level of newbuilding activity for drilling vessels;

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the level of costs for associated offshore oilfield and construction services;

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oil and gas transportation costs;

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the discovery of new oil and gas reserves;

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the cost of non-conventional hydrocarbons, such as the exploitation of oil sands; and

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regulatory restrictions on offshore drilling.

Any of these factors could reduce demand for our services and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The current downturn in activity in the oil and gas drilling industry has had and is likely to continue to have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

The oil and gas drilling industry is currently in a downcycle.  Crude oil prices have fallen during the past year.  The price of crude oil has fallen from over $100 per barrel in March 2014, to approximately $40 per barrel in March 2016. The significant decrease in oil and natural gas prices is expected to continue to reduce many of our customers' demand for our services in 2016. In fact, in response to the recent decrease in the prices of oil and gas, a number of our oil and gas company customers have announced decreases in budgeted expenditures for offshore drilling.  Declines in capital spending levels, coupled with additional newbuild supply, have and are likely to continue to put significant pressure on dayrates and utilization. The decline and the perceived risk of a further decline in oil and/or gas prices could cause oil and gas companies to further reduce their overall level of activity or spending, in which case demand for our services may further decline and revenues may continue to be adversely affected through lower drilling unit utilization and/or lower dayrates.

Historically, when drilling activity and spending decline, utilization and dayrates also decline and drilling has been reduced or discontinued, resulting in an oversupply of drilling units. The recent oversupply of drilling units will be exacerbated by the entry of newbuild drilling units into the market. The supply of available uncontracted units has and is likely to further intensify price competition as scheduled delivery dates occur and additional contracts terminate without renewal and lead to a reduction in dayrates as the active fleet grows.

In general, drilling unit owners are bidding for available work extremely competitively with a focus on utilization over returns, which has and will likely continue to drive rates down to or below cash breakeven levels.  To maintain the continued employment of our units, we may also accept contracts at lower dayrates or on less favorable terms due to market conditions.  In addition, customers have and may in the future request renegotiation of existing contracts to lower dayrates. In an over-supplied market, we may have limited bargaining power to renegotiate on more favorable terms. Lower utilization and dayrates have and will adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

In the current environment our customers may seek to cancel or renegotiate our contracts for various reasons, including adverse conditions, resulting in lower dayrates. During 2016, t hree of our clients have decided to terminate the drilling contracts for the three of our operating units, the Eirik Raude , the Ocean Rig Olympia and the Ocean Rig Apollo . The effects of the downcycle may have other impacts on our business as well. In addition, if the market value of our drilling units decreases, and we sell any drilling unit at a time when prices for drilling units have fallen, such a sale may result in a loss, which would negatively affect our results of operations.

Prolonged periods of low dayrates, the possible termination or loss of contracts and reduced values of our drilling units could negatively impact our ability to comply with certain financial covenants under the terms of our debt agreements. Our ability to comply with these restrictions and covenants, including meeting financial ratios and tests, is dependent on our future performance and may be affected by events beyond our control. If a default occurs under these agreements, lenders could terminate their commitments to lend or in some circumstances accelerate the outstanding loans and declare all amounts borrowed due and payable.  In addition, our existing debt agreements contain cross-default provisions. In the event of a default by us under one of our debt agreements, the lenders under our other existing debt agreements could determine that we are in default under our other financing agreements.  This could lead to an acceleration and enforcement of such agreements by our lenders.

We cannot predict the future level of demand for our services or future conditions of the oil and gas industry. Any decrease in exploration, development or production expenditures by oil and gas companies could reduce our revenues and materially harm our business and results of operations.  There can be no assurance that the current demand for drilling units will not further decline in future periods. The continued or future decline in demand for drilling units would adversely affect our financial position, operating results and cash flows.

 

Continuation of the recent worldwide economic downturn could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, profitability and financial position.

Although there are signs that the economic recession has abated in many countries, there is still considerable instability in the world economy, due in part to uncertainty related to continuing discussions in the United States regarding the federal debt ceiling and in the economies of Eurozone countries, and most recently in China. Further decrease in global economic activity would likely reduce worldwide demand for energy and result in an extended period of lower crude oil and natural gas prices. In addition, continued hostilities and insurrections in the Middle East and North Africa and the occurrence or threat of terrorist attacks against the United States or other countries could adversely affect the economies of the United States and of other countries. Any prolonged reduction in crude oil and natural gas prices would depress the levels of exploration, development and production activity. Moreover, even during periods of high commodity prices, customers may cancel or curtail their drilling programs, or reduce their levels of capital expenditures for exploration and production for a variety of reasons, including their lack of success in exploration efforts. These factors could cause our revenues and margins to decline, decrease daily rates and utilization of our drilling units and limit our future growth prospects. Any significant decrease in daily rates or utilization of our drilling units could materially reduce our revenues and profitability. In addition, any instability in the financial and insurance markets, as experienced in the recent financial and credit crisis, could make it more difficult for us to access capital and to obtain insurance coverage that we consider adequate or is otherwise required by our drilling contracts. An extended period of deterioration in outlook for the world economy could reduce the overall demand for our services and could also adversely affect our ability to obtain financing on terms acceptable to us or at all.

The current state of global financial markets and current economic conditions may adversely impact our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, which may hinder or prevent us from expanding our business.

Global financial markets and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, volatile. Recently, the debt and equity capital markets have been severely distressed. These issues, along with significant write-offs in the financial services sector, the re-pricing of credit risk and the current weak economic conditions, have made, and will likely continue to make, it difficult to obtain additional financing. The current state of global financial markets and current economic conditions might adversely impact our ability to issue additional equity at prices which will not be dilutive to our existing shareholders or preclude us from issuing equity at all.

Also, as a result of concerns about the stability of financial markets generally and the solvency of counterparties specifically, the cost of obtaining money from the credit markets has increased as many lenders have increased interest rates, enacted tighter lending standards, refused to refinance existing debt at all or on terms similar to current debt and reduced, and in some cases ceased, to provide funding to borrowers. Due to these factors, we cannot be certain that additional financing will be available if needed and to the extent required, on acceptable terms or at all. If additional financing is not available when needed, or is available only on unfavorable terms, we may be unable to meet our obligations as they come due or we may be unable to enhance our existing business, complete additional drilling unit acquisitions or otherwise take advantage of business opportunities as they arise.

The offshore drilling industry is highly competitive with intense price competition and, as a result, we may be unable to compete successfully with other providers of contract drilling services that have greater resources than we have.

The offshore contract drilling industry is highly competitive with several industry participants, none of which has a dominant market share, and is characterized by high capital and maintenance requirements. Drilling contracts are traditionally awarded on a competitive bid basis. Price competition is often the primary factor in determining which qualified contractor is awarded the drilling contract, although drilling unit availability, location and suitability, the quality and technical capability of service and equipment, reputation and industry standing are key factors which are considered. Mergers among oil and natural gas exploration and production companies have reduced, and may from time to time further reduce the number of available customers, which would increase the ability of potential customers to achieve pricing terms favorable to them.

 

Many of our competitors are significantly larger than we are and have more diverse drilling assets and significantly greater financial and other resources than we have. In addition, because of our relatively small fleet, we may be unable to take advantage of economies of scale to the same extent as some of our larger competitors. Given the high capital requirements that are inherent in the offshore drilling industry, we may also be unable to invest in new technologies or expand in the future as may be necessary for us to succeed in this industry, while our larger competitors with superior financial resources, and in many cases less leverage than we have, may be able to respond more rapidly to changing market demands and compete more efficiently on price for drilling units employment. We may not be able to maintain our competitive position, and we believe that competition for contracts will continue to be intense in the future. Our inability to compete successfully may reduce our revenues and profitability.

An over-supply of drilling units may lead to a reduction in dayrates and therefore may materially impact our profitability.

During the recent period of high utilization and high dayrates, industry participants have increased the supply of drilling units by ordering the construction of new drilling units. Historically, this has resulted in an over-supply of drilling units and has caused a subsequent decline in utilization and dayrates when the drilling units enter the market, sometimes for extended periods of time until the units have been absorbed into the active fleet. According to industry sources, the worldwide fleet of ultra-deepwater drilling units as of February 2016 consisted of 165 units, comprised of 62 semi-submersible rigs and 103 drillships. An additional 13 semi-submersible rigs and 43 drillships were under construction or on order as of February 2016, which would bring the total fleet to 221 drilling units by the end of 2020. A relatively large number of the drilling units currently under construction have been contracted for future work, which may intensify price competition as scheduled delivery dates occur. The entry into service of these new, upgraded or reactivated drilling units will increase supply and has already led to a reduction in dayrates as drilling units are absorbed into the active fleet. In addition, the new construction of high-specification drilling units, as well as changes in our competitors' drilling unit fleets, could require us to make material additional capital investments to keep our fleet competitive. Lower utilization and dayrates could adversely affect our revenues and profitability. Prolonged periods of low utilization and dayrates could also result in the recognition of impairment charges on our drilling units if future cash flow estimates, based upon information available to management at the time, indicate that the carrying value of these drilling units may not be recoverable.

Consolidation of suppliers may increase the cost of obtaining supplies, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We rely on certain third parties to provide supplies and services necessary for our operations, including, but not limited to, drilling equipment suppliers and catering and machinery suppliers. Recent mergers have reduced the number of available suppliers, resulting in fewer alternatives for sourcing key supplies. Such consolidation, combined with a high volume of drilling units under construction, may result in a shortage of supplies and services, thereby increasing the cost of supplies and/or potentially inhibiting the ability of suppliers to deliver on time, or at all. These cost increases, delays or unavailability could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and result in drilling unit downtime and delays in the repair and maintenance of our drilling units.

Our international operations involve additional risks, which could adversely affect our business.

We operate in various regions throughout the world.  Our drilling units, the Ocean Rig Corcovado , the Ocean Rig Mylos and the Ocean Rig Mykonos , are operating offshore Brazil, the Ocean Rig Athena is operating offshore Senegal, the Ocean Rig Poseidon and the Ocean Rig Skyros are operating offshore Angola and the Leiv Eiriksson will commence drilling operations offshore Norway. Our drilling units, the Eirik Raude , the Ocean Rig Olympia and the Ocean Rig Apollo are currently en route to their respective stacking locations.

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oil and gas exploration and development;

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taxation of offshore earnings and earnings of expatriate personnel; and

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use and compensation of local employees and suppliers by foreign contractors.

Some foreign governments favor or effectively require (i) the awarding of drilling contracts to local contractors or to drilling units owned by their own citizens, (ii) the use of a local agent or (iii) foreign contractors to employ citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction. These practices may adversely affect our ability to compete in those regions. It is difficult to predict what governmental regulations may be enacted in the future that could adversely affect the international drilling industry. The actions of foreign governments, including initiatives by OPEC, may adversely affect our ability to compete. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those relating to sanctions and export restrictions, may subject us to criminal sanctions or civil remedies, including fines, denial of export privileges, injunctions or seizures of assets.

Our business and operations involve numerous operating hazards.

Our operations are subject to hazards inherent in the drilling industry, such as blowouts, reservoir damage, loss of production, loss of well control, lost or stuck drill strings, equipment defects, punch throughs, craterings, fires, explosions and pollution, including spills similar to the events on April 20, 2010 related to the Deepwater Horizon , in which we were not involved. Contract drilling and well servicing require the use of heavy equipment and exposure to hazardous conditions, which may subject us to liability claims by employees, customers and third parties. These hazards can cause 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. Our offshore fleet is also subject to hazards inherent in marine operations, either while on-site or during mobilization, such as capsizing, sinking, grounding, collision, damage from severe weather and marine life infestations. Operations may also be suspended because of machinery breakdowns, abnormal drilling conditions, personnel shortages or failure of subcontractors to perform or supply goods or services.

Damage to the environment could also result from our operations, particularly through spillage of fuel, lubricants or other chemicals and substances used in drilling operations, leaks and blowouts or extensive uncontrolled fires. We may also be subject to property, environmental and other damage claims by oil and gas companies. Our insurance policies and contractual indemnity rights with our customers may not adequately cover losses, and we do not have insurance coverage or rights to indemnity for all the risks to which we are exposed. Consistent with standard industry practice, our customers generally assume, and indemnify us against, well control and subsurface risks under dayrate drilling contracts, including pollution damage in connection with reservoir fluids stemming from operations under the contract, damage to the well or reservoir, loss of subsurface oil and gas and the cost of bringing the well under control. We generally indemnify our customers against pollution from substances in our control that originate from the drilling unit (e.g., diesel used onboard the unit or other fluids stored onboard the unit and above the water surface). However, our drilling contracts are individually negotiated, and the degree of indemnification we receive from the customer against the liabilities discussed above can vary from contract to contract, based on market conditions and customer requirements existing when the contract was negotiated. Notwithstanding a contractual indemnity from a customer, there can be no assurance that our customers will be financially able to indemnify us or will otherwise honor their contractual indemnity obligations. We maintain insurance coverage for property damage, occupational injury and illness, and general and marine third-party liabilities. However, pollution and environmental risks generally are not totally insurable. Furthermore, we have no insurance coverage for named storms in the Gulf of Mexico and while trading within war risks excluded areas.

 

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may result in more stringent laws and regulations governing deepwater drilling, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

On April 20, 2010, there was an explosion and a related fire on the Deepwater Horizon, an ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling unit that is not connected to us, while it was servicing the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. This catastrophic event resulted in the death of 11 workers and the total loss of that drilling unit, as well as the release of large amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, severely impacting the environment and the region's key industries. This event is being investigated by several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, and by the U.S. Congress, and is also the subject of numerous lawsuits. On January 11, 2011, the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling released its final report, with recommendations for new regulations.

We do not currently operate our drilling units in these regions, but we may do so in the future. In any event, changes to leasing and drilling activity requirements as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident could have a substantial impact on the offshore oil and gas industry worldwide. All drilling activity in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico must be in compliance with enhanced safety requirements contained in the Notice to Lessees 2015-N01. Effective October 22, 2012 all drilling in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico must also comply with the Final Drilling Safety Rule as adopted on August 15, 2012, which enhances safety measures for energy development on the outer continental shelf. All drilling must also comply with the Workplace Safety Rule on Safety and Environmental Management Systems. Also the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, proposed a rule increasing the limits of liability of damages for offshore facilities under OPA based on inflation which became effective in January 2015.  In April 2015, it was announced that new regulations are expected to be imposed in the United States regarding offshore oil and gas drilling.  In December 2015 the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, announced a new pilot inspection program for offshore facilities. We continue to evaluate these requirements to ensure that our drilling units and equipment are in full compliance, where applicable. Additional requirements could be forthcoming based on further recommendations by regulatory agencies investigating the Macondo well incident.

We are not able to predict the extent of future leasing plans or the likelihood, nature or extent of additional rulemaking. Nor are we able to predict when the "BOEM" will enter into leases with our customers or when the BSEE will issue drilling permits to our customers. We are not able to predict the future impact of these events on our operations. The current and future regulatory environment in the Gulf of Mexico could impact the demand for drilling units in the Gulf of Mexico in terms of overall number of drilling units in operations and the technical specification required for offshore drilling units to operate in the Gulf of Mexico. It is possible that short-term potential migration of drilling units from the Gulf of Mexico could adversely impact dayrates levels and fleet utilization in other regions. In addition, insurance costs across the industry have increased as a result of the Macondo well incident and certain insurance coverage has become more costly, less available, and not available at all from certain insurance companies.

Our insurance coverage may not adequately protect us from certain operational risks inherent in the drilling industry.

Our insurance is intended to cover normal risks in our current operations, including insurance against property damage, occupational injury and illness, loss of hire, certain war risks and third-party liability, including pollution liability. For example, the amount of risk we are subject to might increase regarding occupational injuries because on January 12, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act, whose provisions are incorporated into the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act could cover occupational injuries.

Insurance coverage may not, under certain circumstances, be available, and if available, may not provide sufficient funds to protect us from all losses and liabilities that could result from our operations. We have also obtained loss of hire insurance which becomes effective after 45 days of downtime with coverage that extends for approximately one year. This loss of hire insurance is recoverable only if there is physical damage to the drilling unit or equipment which is caused by a peril against which we are insured. The principal risks which may not be insurable are various environmental liabilities and liabilities resulting from reservoir damage caused by our gross negligence. Moreover, our insurance provides for premium adjustments based on claims and is subject to deductibles and aggregate recovery limits. In the case of pollution liabilities, our deductible is $10,000 per event and $250,000 for protection and indemnity claims brought before any U.S. jurisdiction. Our aggregate recovery limit is $500.0 million for all claims arising out of any event covered by our protection and indemnity insurance. Our deductible is $1.5 million per hull and machinery insurance claim. In addition, insurance policies which are extended to cover physical damage claims due to a named windstorm in the Gulf of Mexico generally require additional premium and impose strict recovery limits. Our insurance coverage may not protect fully against losses resulting from a required cessation of drilling unit operations for environmental or other reasons. Insurance may not be available to us at all or on terms acceptable to us, we may not maintain insurance or, if we are so insured, our policy may not be adequate to cover our loss or liability in all cases. The occurrence of a casualty, loss or liability against, which we may not be fully insured against, could significantly reduce our revenues, make it financially impossible for us to obtain a replacement drilling unit or to repair a damaged drilling unit, cause us to pay fines or damages which are generally not insurable and that may have priority over the payment obligations under our indebtedness or otherwise impair our ability to meet our obligations under our indebtedness and to operate profitably.

If we enter into drilling contracts or engage in certain other activities with countries or government-controlled entities or customers associated with countries that are subject to restrictions imposed by the U.S. government, or engage in certain other activities, including entering into drilling contracts with individuals or entities in such countries that are not controlled by their governments or engaging in operations associated with such countries or entities pursuant to contracts with third parties unrelated to those countries or entities, our ability to conduct our business and access U.S. capital markets and our reputation and the market for our securities could be adversely affected.

Although none of our drilling units have operated during the year ending December 31, 2015 in countries subject to sanctions and embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and other authorities or countries identified by the U.S. government or other authorities as state sponsors of terrorism, including Iran, Sudan and Syria, in the future our drilling units may operate in these countries from time to time on our customers' instructions. The U.S. sanctions and embargo laws and regulations vary in their application, as they do not all apply to the same covered persons or proscribe the same activities, and such sanctions and embargo laws and regulations may be amended or strengthened over time. In 2010, the U.S. enacted the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions Accountability and Divestment Act, or CISADA, which amended the Iran Sanctions Act. Among other things, CISADA introduced limits on the ability of companies and persons to do business or trade with Iran when such activities relate to the investment, supply or export of refined petroleum or petroleum products. In 2012, President Obama signed Executive Order 13608 which prohibits foreign persons from violating or attempting to violate, or causing a violation of any sanctions in effect against Iran or facilitating any deceptive transactions for or on behalf of any person subject to U.S. sanctions. Any persons found to be in violation of Executive Order 13608 will be deemed a foreign sanctions evader and will be banned from all contacts with the United States, including conducting business in U.S. dollars. Also in 2012, President Obama signed into law the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, or the Iran Threat Reduction Act, which created new sanctions and strengthened existing sanctions. Among other things, the Iran Threat Reduction Act intensifies existing sanctions regarding the provision of goods, services, infrastructure or technology to Iran's petroleum or petrochemical sector. The Iran Threat Reduction Act also includes a provision requiring the President of the United States to impose five or more sanctions from Section 6(a) of the Iran Sanctions Act, as amended, on a person the President determines is a controlling beneficial owner of, or otherwise owns, operates, or controls or insures a vessel that was used to transport crude oil from Iran to another country and (1) if the person is a controlling beneficial owner of the vessel, the person had actual knowledge the vessel was so used or (2) if the person otherwise owns, operates, or controls, or insures the vessel, the person knew or should have known the vessel was so used. Such a person could be subject to a variety of sanctions, including exclusion from U.S. capital markets, exclusion from financial transactions subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and exclusion of that person's vessels from U.S. ports for up to two years.

On July 14, 2015, the P5+1 and the EU announced that they reached a landmark agreement with Iran titled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's Nuclear Program (the "JCPOA"), which is intended to significantly restrict Iran's ability to develop and produce nuclear weapons for 10 years while simultaneously easing sanctions directed toward non-U.S. persons for conduct involving Iran, but taking place outside of U.S. jurisdiction and does not involve U.S. persons.  On January 16, 2016 ("Implementation Day"), the United States joined the EU and the UN in lifting a significant number of their nuclear-related sanctions on Iran following an announcement by the International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA") that Iran had satisfied its respective obligations under the JCPOA.

U.S. sanctions prohibiting certain conduct that is now permitted under the JCPOA have not actually been repealed or permanently terminated at this time.  Rather, the U.S. government has implemented changes to the sanctions regime by: (1) issuing waivers of certain statutory sanctions provisions; (2) committing to refrain from exercising certain discretionary sanctions authorities; (3) removing certain individuals and entities from OFAC's sanctions lists; and (4) revoking certain Executive Orders and specified sections of Executive Orders.  These sanctions will not be permanently "lifted" until the earlier of "Transition Day," set to occur on October 20, 2023, or upon a report from the IAEA stating that all nuclear material in Iran is being used for peaceful activities.

Although we believe that we are in compliance with all applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations, and intend to maintain such compliance, there can be no assurance that we will be in compliance in the future, particularly as the scope of certain laws may be unclear and may be subject to changing interpretations. Any such violation could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions that could severely impact our ability to access U.S. capital markets and conduct our business, and could result in some investors deciding, or being required, to divest their interest, or not to invest, in us. In addition, certain institutional investors may have investment policies or restrictions that prevent them from holding securities of companies that have contracts with countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. The determination by these investors not to invest in, or to divest from, our common stock may adversely affect the price at which our common stock trades. Moreover, our customers may violate applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations as a result of actions that do not involve us or our drilling units, and those violations could in turn negatively affect our reputation. In addition, our reputation and the market for our securities may be adversely affected if we engage in certain other activities, such as entering into drilling contracts with individuals or entities in countries subject to U.S. sanctions and embargo laws that are not controlled by the governments of those countries, or engaging in operations associated with those countries pursuant to contracts with third parties that are unrelated to those countries or entities controlled by their governments. Investor perception of the value of our common stock may be adversely affected by the consequences of war, the effects of terrorism, civil unrest and governmental actions in these and surrounding countries.

The instability of the euro or the inability of Eurozone countries to refinance their debts could have a material adverse effect on our ability to fund our future capital expenditures or refinance our debt.

As a result of the credit crisis in Europe, in particular in Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, the European Commission created the European Financial Stability Facility, or the EFSF, and the European Financial Stability Mechanism, or the EFSM, to provide funding to Eurozone countries in financial difficulties that seek such support. In March 2011, the European Council agreed on the need for Eurozone countries to establish a permanent stability mechanism, the European Stability Mechanism, or the ESM, which was activated by mutual agreement in 2013, and assumed the role of the EFSF and the EFSM in providing external financial assistance to Eurozone countries.

Despite these measures, concerns persist regarding the debt burden of certain Eurozone countries and their ability to meet future financial obligations and the overall stability of the euro. An extended period of adverse development in the outlook for European countries could make it difficult for current or potential lenders in the Eurozone to provide new loan facilities we may need to fund our future capital expenditures.

Governmental laws and regulations, including environmental laws and regulations, may add to our costs or limit our drilling activity.

Our business is affected by laws and regulations relating to the energy industry and the environment in the geographic areas where we operate. The offshore drilling industry is dependent on demand for services from the oil and gas exploration and production industry, and, accordingly, we are directly affected by the adoption of laws and regulations that, for economic, environmental or other policy reasons, curtail exploration and development drilling for oil and gas. We may be required to make significant capital expenditures to comply with governmental laws and regulations. It is also possible that these laws and regulations may, in the future, add significantly to our operating costs or significantly limit drilling activity. Our ability to compete in international contract drilling markets may be limited by foreign governmental regulations that favor or require the awarding of contracts to local contractors or by regulations requiring foreign contractors to employ citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction. Governments in some countries are increasingly active in regulating and controlling the ownership of concessions, the exploration for oil and gas, and other aspects of the oil and gas industries. Offshore drilling in certain areas has been curtailed and, in certain cases, prohibited because of concerns over protection of the environment. Operations in less developed countries can be subject to legal systems that are not as mature or predictable as those in more developed countries, which can lead to greater uncertainty in legal matters and proceedings.

To the extent new laws are enacted or other governmental actions are taken that prohibit or restrict offshore drilling or impose additional environmental protection requirements that result in increased costs to the oil and gas industry, in general, or the offshore drilling industry, in particular, our business or prospects could be materially adversely affected. The operation of our drilling units will require certain governmental approvals, the number and prerequisites of which cannot be determined until we identify the jurisdictions in which we will operate on securing contracts for the drilling units. Depending on the jurisdiction, these governmental approvals may involve public hearings and conditions that result in costly undertakings on our part. We may not obtain such approvals or such approvals may not be obtained in a timely manner. If we fail to timely secure the necessary approvals or permits, our customers may have the right to terminate or seek to renegotiate their drilling contracts to our detriment. The amendment or modification of existing laws and regulations or the adoption of new laws and regulations curtailing or further regulating exploratory or development drilling and production of oil and gas could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition. Future earnings may be negatively affected by compliance with any such new legislation or regulations.

We are subject to complex laws and regulations, including environmental laws and regulations that can adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of doing business.

Our operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations in the form of international conventions and treaties, national, state and local laws and national and international regulations in force in the jurisdictions in which our vessels operate or are registered, which can significantly affect the ownership and operation of our drilling units. These regulations include, but are not limited to, the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships of 1973, as from time to time amended and generally referred to as MARPOL, including designation of Emission Control Areas, or ECAs, thereunder, the IMO International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage of 1969, as from time to time amended and generally referred to as CLC, the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, or Bunker Convention, the IMO International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974, as from time to time amended and generally referred to as SOLAS, the International Safety Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention, or ISM Code, the IMO International Convention on Load Lines of 1966, as from time to time amended, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments in February 2004, or the BWM Convention, the U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or OPA, requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard, or USCG, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA, the U.S. Clean Water Act, the U.S. Clean Air Act, the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, or the MTSA, European Union regulations, and Brazil's National Environmental Policy Law (6938/81), Environmental Crimes Law (9605/98) and Law (9966/2000) relating to pollution in Brazilian waters.

Compliance with such laws, regulations and standards, where applicable, may require installation of costly equipment or operational changes and may affect the resale value or useful lives of our vessels. Moreover, the manner in which these laws are enforced and interpreted is constantly evolving. We may also incur additional costs in order to comply with other existing and future regulatory obligations, including, but not limited to, costs relating to air emissions, including greenhouse gases, the management of ballast waters, maintenance and inspection, development and implementation of emergency procedures and insurance coverage or other financial assurance of our ability to address pollution incidents. These costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. A failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in administrative and civil penalties, criminal sanctions or the suspension or termination of our operations. Environmental laws often impose strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of oil and hazardous substances, which could subject us to liability without regard to whether we were negligent or at fault. Under OPA, for example, owners, operators and bareboat charterers are jointly and severally strictly liable for the discharge of oil in U.S. waters, including the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the United States. An oil spill could result in significant liability, including fines, penalties and criminal liability and remediation costs for natural resource damages under other international and U.S. federal, state and local laws, as well as third-party damages. We are required to satisfy insurance and financial responsibility requirements for potential oil (including marine fuel) spills and other pollution incidents and our insurance may not be sufficient to cover all such risks. As a result, claims against us could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Although our drilling units are separately owned by our subsidiaries, under certain circumstances a parent company and all of the ship-owning affiliates in a group under common control engaged in a joint venture could be held liable for damages or debts owed by one of the affiliates, including liabilities for oil spills under OPA or other environmental laws. Therefore, it is possible that we could be subject to liability upon a judgment against us or any one of our subsidiaries.

Our drilling units could cause the release of oil or hazardous substances, especially as our drilling units age. Any releases may be large in quantity, above our permitted limits or occur in protected or sensitive areas where public interest groups or governmental authorities have special interests. Any releases of oil or hazardous substances could result in fines and other costs to us, such as costs to upgrade our drilling units, clean up the releases, and comply with more stringent requirements in our discharge permits. Moreover, these releases may result in our customers or governmental authorities suspending or terminating our operations in the affected area, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition.

If we are able to obtain from our customers some degree of contractual indemnification against pollution and environmental damages in our contracts, such indemnification may not be enforceable in all instances or the customer may not be financially able to comply with its indemnity obligations in all cases. In addition, we may not be able to obtain such indemnification agreements in the future.

Our insurance coverage may not be available in the future or we may not obtain certain insurance coverage. If it is available and we have the coverage, it may not be adequate to cover our liabilities. Any of these scenarios could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Regulation of greenhouse gases and climate change could have a negative impact on our business.

Currently, emissions of greenhouse gases from ships involved in international transport are not subject to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which entered into force in 2005 and pursuant to which adopting countries have been required to implement national programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The 2015 United Nations Convention of Climate Change Conference in Paris did not result in an agreement that directly limited greenhouse gas emissions from ships.  As of January 1, 2013, all ships (including drilling units) must comply with mandatory requirements adopted by the MEPC in July 2011 relating to greenhouse gas emissions. Currently operating ships are now required to develop and implement the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans, or SEEMPs, and the new ships to be designed in compliance with minimum energy efficiency levels per capacity mile as defined by the Energy Efficiency Design Index, or EEDI. These requirements could cause us to incur additional compliance costs. The IMO is also considering the implementation of market-based mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships. In April 2015, a regulation was adopted requiring that large ships (over 5,00 gross tons) calling at European Union, or EU, ports from January 2018 collect and publish data on carbon dioxide emissions and other information.  In the United States, the EPA has issued a finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and safety and has adopted regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from certain mobile sources and large stationary sources. The EPA enforces both the CAA and the international standards found in Annex VI of MARPOL concerning marine diesel engines, their emissions, and the sulphur content in marine fuel. Any passage of climate control legislation or other regulatory initiatives by the IMO, European Union, the U.S. or other countries where we operate, or any treaty adopted at the international level to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, that restrict emissions of greenhouse gases could require us to make significant financial expenditures, including capital expenditures to upgrade our vessels, which we cannot predict with certainty at this time.

 

Because our business depends on the level of activity in the offshore oil and gas industry, existing or future laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements related to greenhouse gases and climate change, including incentives to conserve energy or use alternative energy sources, could have a negative impact on our business if such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements reduce the worldwide demand for oil and gas. In addition, such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions, which may have a negative impact on our business.

Failure to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-bribery and anti-corruption regulations in other jurisidictions in which we operate could result in fines, criminal penalties, drilling contract terminations and an adverse effect on our business.

We currently operate, and historically have operated, our drilling units outside of the United States in a number of countries throughout the world, including some with developing economies. Also, the existence of state or government-owned shipbuilding enterprises puts us in contact with persons who may be considered "foreign officials" under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, or the FCPA. We are committed to doing business in accordance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics which is consistent and in full compliance with the FCPA. We are subject, however, to the risk that we, our affiliated entities or our or their respective officers, directors, employees and agents may take actions determined to be in violation of such anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA and anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions in which we operate such as Brazil and the U.K. Any such violation could result in substantial fines, sanctions, civil and/or criminal penalties, curtailment of operations in certain jurisdictions, and might adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation and ability to do business. Furthermore, detecting, investigating, and resolving actual or alleged violations is expensive and can consume significant time and attention of our senior management.

 

Acts of terrorism and political and social unrest could affect the markets for drilling services, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Acts of terrorism and political and social unrest, brought about by world political events or otherwise, have caused instability in the world's financial and insurance markets in the past and may occur in the future. Such acts could be directed against companies such as ours. In addition, acts of terrorism and social unrest could lead to increased volatility in prices for crude oil and natural gas and could affect the markets for drilling services and result in lower dayrates. Insurance premiums could increase and coverage may be unavailable in the future. U.S. government regulations may effectively preclude us from actively engaging in business activities in certain countries. These regulations could be amended to cover countries where we currently operate or where we may wish to operate in the future. Increased insurance costs or increased cost of compliance with applicable regulations may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Military action, other armed conflicts, or terrorist attacks have caused significant increases in political and economic instability in geographic regions where we operate and where our newbuilding drilling units are being constructed.

Military tension involving North and South Korea, the Middle East, Africa and other attacks, threats of attacks, terrorism and unrest, have caused instability or uncertainty in the world's financial and commercial markets and have significantly increased political and economic instability in some of the geographic areas where we operate and where we have contracted with a major shipyard in Korea , to build our three newbuilding drilling units. Acts of terrorism and armed conflicts or threats of armed conflicts in these locations could limit or disrupt our operations, including disruptions resulting from the cancellation of contracts or the loss of personnel or assets. In addition, any possible reprisals as a consequence of ongoing military action in the Middle East, such as acts of terrorism in the United States or elsewhere, could materially and adversely affect us in ways we cannot predict at this time.

Acts of piracy have recently increased in frequency, which could adversely affect our business.

Acts of piracy have historically affected ocean-going vessels trading in regions of the world such as the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, off the coast of West Africa and in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. Although the frequency of sea piracy worldwide decreased during 2012 to its lowest level since 2009, sea piracy incidents continue to occur, particularly in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia and increasingly in the Gulf of Guinea. If these piracy attacks result in regions in which our drilling units are deployed being characterized as "war risk" zones by insurers, or Joint War Committee "war and strikes" listed areas, premiums payable for such coverage could increase significantly and such insurance coverage may be more difficult to obtain. In addition, crew costs, including due to employing onboard security guards, could increase in such circumstances. We may not be adequately insured to cover losses from these incidents, which could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, any detention hijacking as a result of an act of piracy against our drilling units, or an increase in cost, or unavailability, of insurance for our vessels, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The U.S. government recently imposed legislation concerning the deteriorating situation in Somalia, including acts of piracy offshore Somalia. On April 13, 2010, the President of the United States issued an Executive Order, which we refer to as the Order, prohibiting, among other things, the payment of monies to or for the benefit of individuals and entities on the list of Specially Designated Nationals, or SDNs, published by U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Certain individuals associated with piracy offshore Somalia are currently designated persons under the SDN list. The Order is applicable only to payments by U.S. persons and not by foreign entities, such as Ocean Rig UDW Inc. Notwithstanding this fact, it is possible that the Order, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, may affect foreign private issuers to the extent that such foreign private issuers provide monies, such as ransom payments to secure the release of crews and ships in the event of detention hijackings, to any SDN for which they seek reimbursement from a U.S. insurance carrier. While additional regulations relating to the Order may be promulgated by the U.S. government in the future, we cannot predict what effect these regulations may have on our operations.

Hurricanes may impact our ability to operate our drilling units in the Gulf of Mexico or other U.S. coastal waters, which could reduce our revenues and profitability.

Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike caused damage to a number of drilling units unaffiliated with us in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Drilling units that moved off their locations during the hurricanes damaged platforms, pipelines, wellheads and other drilling units. BOEM and the BSEE, the U.S. organizations that issue a significant number of relevant guidelines for the drilling units' activities, had guidelines for tie-downs on drilling units and permanent equipment and facilities attached to outer continental shelf production platforms, and moored drilling unit fitness during hurricane season. These guidelines effectively impose requirements on the offshore oil and natural gas industry in an attempt to increase the likelihood of survival of offshore drilling units during a hurricane. The guidelines also provide for enhanced information and data requirements from oil and natural gas companies that operate properties in the Gulf of Mexico region of the Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM and BSEE may issue similar guidelines for future hurricane seasons and may take other steps that could increase the cost of operations or reduce the area of operations for our ultra-deepwater drilling units, thereby reducing their marketability. Implementation of new guidelines or regulations that may apply to ultra-deepwater drilling units may subject us to increased costs and limit the operational capabilities of our drilling units. Our drilling units do not currently operate in the Gulf of Mexico or other U.S. coastal waters but may do so in the future.

Any failure to comply with the complex laws and regulations governing international trade could adversely affect our operations.

The shipment of goods, services and technology across international borders subjects us to extensive trade laws and regulations. Import activities are governed by unique customs laws and regulations in each of the countries of operation. Moreover, many countries, including the United States, control the export and re-export of certain goods, services and technology and impose related export recordkeeping and reporting obligations. Governments also may impose economic sanctions against certain countries, persons and other entities that may restrict or prohibit transactions involving such countries, persons and entities.

The laws and regulations concerning import activity, export recordkeeping and reporting, export control and economic sanctions are complex and constantly changing. These laws and regulations may be enacted, amended, enforced or interpreted in a manner materially impacting our operations. Shipments can be delayed and denied export or entry for a variety of reasons, some of which are outside our control and some of which may result from failure to comply with existing legal and regulatory regimes. Shipping delays or denials could cause unscheduled operational downtime. Any failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory trading obligations also could result in criminal and civil penalties and sanctions, such as fines, imprisonment, debarment from government contracts, seizure of shipments and loss of import and export privileges.

New technologies may cause our current drilling methods to become obsolete, resulting in an adverse effect on our business.

The offshore contract drilling industry is subject to the introduction of new drilling techniques and services using new technologies, some of which may be subject to patent protection. As competitors and others use or develop new technologies, we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage and competitive pressures may force us to implement new technologies at substantial cost. In addition, competitors may have greater financial, technical and personnel resources that allow them to benefit from technological advantages and implement new technologies before we can. We may not be able to implement technologies on a timely basis or at a cost that is acceptable to us.

Risks Relating to Our Company

We have substantial indebtedness, and may incur substantial additional indebtedness, which could adversely affect our financial health.

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we may not be able to satisfy our financial obligations under our indebtedness and our contractual and commercial commitments, which may result in possible defaults on and acceleration of such indebtedness;

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we may not be able to obtain financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or other purposes;

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we may not be able to use operating cash flow in other areas of our business because we must dedicate a substantial portion of these funds to service the debt;

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we could become more vulnerable to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including increases in interest rates, particularly given our substantial indebtedness, some of which bears interest at variable rates;

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our ability to refinance indebtedness may be limited or the associated costs may increase;

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less leveraged competitors could have a competitive advantage because they have lower debt service requirements and, as a result, we may not be better positioned to withstand economic downturns;

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we may be less able to take advantage of significant business opportunities and to react to changes in market or industry conditions than our competitors and our management's discretion in operating our business may be limited; and

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we may be unable to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the 6.50% senior secured notes due 2017, or our Senior Secured Notes, issued by Drill Rigs Holdings Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary, or Drill Rigs Holdings, in September 2012 tendered to Drill Rigs Holdings if there is a change of control or event of loss or in connection with an asset sale offer, which would constitute a default under the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes.

Each of these factors may have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition and viability. Our ability to service our debt will depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. If our operating income is not sufficient to service our current or future indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions such as reducing or delaying our business activities, acquisitions, investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our debt or seeking additional equity capital. Any or all of these actions may be insufficient to allow us to service our debt obligations. Further, we may not be able to effect any of these remedies on satisfactory terms, or at all.

We may incur additional debt, which could exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial leverage.

Even with our existing level of debt, we and our subsidiaries may incur additional indebtedness in the future. In March 2015 we drew down an amount of $462.0 million under the previous agreed facility in connection with the delivery of Ocean Rig Apollo and we may incur additional indebtedness in order to fund the estimated remaining contractual obligations for the construction of the remaining three unfinanced seventh generation drilling units, excluding financing costs, of $1.8 billion as of the day of this annual report. Although the terms of our existing debt agreements, and any future debt agreements we enter into, will limit our ability to incur additional debt, these terms may not prohibit us from incurring substantial amounts of additional debt for specific purposes or under certain circumstances. If new debt is added to our and our subsidiaries' current debt levels, the related risks that we and they now face could intensify and could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial leverage.

The agreements and instruments governing our indebtedness contain restrictions and limitations that could significantly impact our ability to operate our business.

Our secured credit facilities, the bond agreement governing our unsecured senior notes and the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes impose, and future financial obligations may impose, certain operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions may prohibit or otherwise limit our ability to, among other things:

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enter into other financing arrangements;

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incur or guarantee additional indebtedness;

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create or permit liens on our assets;

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consummate a merger, consolidation or sale of our drilling units or the shares of our subsidiaries;

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make investments;

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change the general nature of our business;

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pay dividends, redeem capital stock or subordinated indebtedness or make other restricted payments;

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incur dividend or other payment restrictions affecting our restricted subsidiaries under the indenture governing our Senior Secured Notes;

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change the management and/or ownership of our drilling units;

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enter into transactions with affiliates;

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transfer or sell assets;

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amend, modify or change our organizational documents;

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make capital expenditures; and

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compete effectively to the extent our competitors are subject to less onerous restrictions.

In addition, certain of our existing secured credit facilities require us to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy various financial covenants, including covenants related to the market value of our drilling units, capital expenditures and maintenance of a minimum amount of total available cash. Any future credit agreement or amendment or debt instrument we enter into may contain similar or more restrictive covenants. Events beyond our control, including changes in the economic and business conditions in the deepwater offshore drilling market in which we operate, may affect our ability to comply with these ratios and covenants. Our ability to maintain compliance will also depend substantially on the value of our assets, our dayrates, our ability to obtain drilling contracts, our success at keeping our costs low and our ability to successfully implement our overall business strategy. We cannot guarantee that we would be able to obtain our lenders' waiver or consent with respect to any noncompliance with the specified financial ratios and financial covenants under our various credit facilities or future financial obligations or that we would be able to refinance any such indebtedness in the event of default.

These restrictions, ratios and financial covenants in our debt agreements could limit our ability to fund our operations or capital needs, make acquisitions or pursue available business opportunities, which in turn may adversely affect our financial condition. A violation of any of these provisions could result in a default under our existing and future debt agreements which could allow all amounts outstanding thereunder to be declared immediately due and payable. This would likely in turn trigger cross-acceleration and cross-default rights under the terms of our indebtedness outstanding at such time. If the amounts outstanding under our indebtedness were to be accelerated or were the subject of foreclosure actions, we cannot assure you that our assets would be sufficient to repay in full the money owed to the lenders or to our other debt holders.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our debt service and other obligations due to events beyond our control.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on our outstanding indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate cash from operations in the future. Our future financial and operating performance will be affected by a range of economic, financial, competitive, regulatory, business and other factors that we cannot control, such as general economic and financial conditions in the offshore drilling industry or the economy generally. In particular, our ability to generate steady cash flow will depend on our ability to secure drilling contracts at acceptable rates. Assuming no exercise of any options to extend the terms of our existing drilling contracts, our operating drilling units are contracted from the first quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2021.   We cannot guarantee that we will be able to secure employment for the Ocean Rig Olympia, the Eirik Raude and the Ocean Rig Apollo, our uncontracted operating drilling units, and for the Ocean Rig Santorini , the Ocean Rig Crete and the Ocean Rig Amorgos , our seventh generation drilling units scheduled for delivery in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

 

Furthermore, our financial and operating performance, and our ability to service our indebtedness, is also dependent on our subsidiaries' ability to make distributions to us, whether in the form of dividends, loans or otherwise. The timing and amount of such distributions will depend on our earnings, financial condition, cash requirements and availability, fleet renewal and expansion, restrictions in our various debt agreements, the provisions of the laws of various jurisdictions in which our subsidiaries operate which affect the payment of dividends and other factors.

 

If our operating cash flows are insufficient to service our debt and to fund our other liquidity needs, we may be forced to take actions such as reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our indebtedness, seeking additional capital, or any combination of the foregoing. We cannot assure you that any of these actions could be effected on satisfactory terms, if at all, or that they would yield sufficient funds to make required payments on our outstanding indebtedness and to fund our other liquidity needs. Also, the terms of existing or future debt agreements may restrict us from pursuing any of these actions. Furthermore, reducing or delaying capital expenditures or selling assets could impair future cash flows and our ability to service our debt in the future.

If for any reason we are unable to meet our debt service and repayment obligations, we would be in default under the terms of the agreements governing such indebtedness, which would allow creditors at that time to declare all such indebtedness then outstanding to be due and payable. This would likely in turn trigger cross-acceleration or cross-default rights among our other debt agreements. Under these circumstances, lenders could compel us to apply all of our available cash to repay borrowings or they could prevent us from making payments on the notes. If the amounts outstanding under our existing and future debt agreements were to be accelerated, or were the subject of foreclosure actions, we cannot assure you that our assets would be sufficient to repay in full the money owed to the lenders or to our other debt holders.

We will need to procure significant additional financing, which may be difficult to obtain on acceptable terms or at all, in order to complete the construction of our seventh generation drilling units.

We have entered into contracts with a major shipyard in Korea, for the construction of three seventh generation drilling units scheduled to be delivered to us in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The estimated total project cost for our three seventh generation drilling units, excluding financing costs, is approximately $2.2 billion, of which an aggregate of approximately $1.8 billion was outstanding as of December 31, 2015. We expect to finance the remaining delivery payments of these seventh generation drilling units with cash on hand, operating cash flow, equity financing and additional bank debt. In the event of a default, we may also incur additional costs and liability to the shipyards, which may pursue claims against us for damages under our newbuilding construction contracts and retain and sell our seventh generation drilling units to third parties.

We may be unable to secure ongoing drilling contracts, including for the Ocean Rig Olympia, Eirik Raude and Ocean Rig Apollo, our uncontracted operating drilling units, and Ocean Rig Santorini, our seventh generation drilling unit to be delivered in 2017, due to strong competition, and the contracts that we enter into may not provide sufficient cash flow to meet our debt service obligations with respect to our indebtedness.

Assuming no exercise of any options to extend the terms of our existing drilling contracts, our operating drilling units are contracted from the third quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2021.

 

Our ability to renew our existing drilling contracts or obtain new drilling contracts for our drilling units, including the three uncontracted operating drilling units and the seventh generation drilling units under construction for which we have not yet secured employment, will depend on prevailing market conditions. We cannot guarantee we will be able to enter into new drilling contracts upon the expiration or termination of the contracts we have in place or at all or that there will not be a gap in employment between our current drilling contracts and subsequent contracts. In particular, if the price of crude oil is low, or it is expected that the price of crude oil will decrease in the future, at a time when we are seeking to arrange employment contracts for our drilling units, we may not be able to obtain employment contracts at attractive rates or at all.

 

If the rates we receive for the reemployment of our drilling units upon the expiration or termination of our existing drilling contracts are lower than the rates under our existing contracts, we will recognize less revenue from the operations of our drilling units. In addition, delays under existing drilling contracts could cause us to lose future contracts if a drilling unit is not available to start work at the agreed date. Our ability to meet our cash flow obligations will depend on our ability to consistently secure drilling contracts for our drilling units at sufficiently high dayrates. We cannot predict the future level of demand for our services or future conditions in the oil and gas industry. If the oil and gas companies do not continue to increase exploration, development and production expenditures, we may have difficulty securing drilling contracts, including for the seventh generation drilling units under construction, or we may be forced to enter into drilling contracts at unattractive dayrates. Either of these events could impair our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to make principal and interest payments under our indebtedness and meet our capital expenditure and other obligations.

Construction of drilling units is subject to risks, including delays and cost overruns, which could have an adverse impact on our available cash resources and results of operations.

We have entered into contracts with a major shipyard in Korea, for the construction of three seventh generation drilling units scheduled to be delivered to us in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.  From time to time in the future, we may undertake additional new construction projects and conversion projects. In addition, we may make significant upgrade, refurbishment, conversion and repair expenditures for our fleet from time to time, particularly as our drilling units become older. Some of these expenditures are unplanned. These projects together with our existing construction projects and other efforts of this type are subject to risks of cost overruns or delays inherent in any large construction project as a result of numerous factors, including the following:

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shipyard unavailability;

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shortages of equipment, materials or skilled labor for completion of repairs or upgrades to our equipment;

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unscheduled delays in the delivery of ordered materials and equipment or shipyard construction;

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financial or operating difficulties experienced by equipment vendors or the shipyard;

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unanticipated actual or purported change orders;

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local customs strikes or related work slowdowns that could delay importation of equipment or materials;

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engineering problems, including those relating to the commissioning of newly designed equipment;

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design or engineering changes;

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latent damages or deterioration to the hull, equipment and machinery in excess of engineering estimates and assumptions;

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work stoppages;

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client acceptance delays;

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weather interference, storm damage or other events of force majeure;

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disputes with shipyards and suppliers;

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shipyard failures and difficulties;

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failure or delay of third-party equipment vendors or service providers;

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unanticipated cost increases; and

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difficulty in obtaining necessary permits or approvals or in meeting permit or approval conditions.

These factors may contribute to cost variations and delays in the delivery of our ultra-deepwater newbuilding drilling units. Delays in the delivery of these newbuilding drilling units or the inability to complete construction in accordance with their design specifications may, in some circumstances, result in a delay in drilling contract commencement, resulting in a loss of revenue to us, and may also cause customers to renegotiate, terminate or shorten the term of a drilling contract for the drilling unit pursuant to applicable late delivery clauses. In the event of termination of one of these contracts, we may not be able to secure a replacement contract on as favorable terms or at all. Additionally, capital expenditures for drilling unit upgrades, refurbishment and construction projects could materially exceed our planned capital expenditures. Moreover, our drilling units that may undergo upgrade, refurbishment and repair may not earn a dayrate during the periods they are out of service. In addition, in the event of a shipyard failure or other difficulty, we may be unable to enforce certain provisions under our newbuilding contracts such as our refund guarantee, to recover amounts paid as installments under such contracts. The occurrence of any of these events may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. In the event of a default, we may also incur additional costs and liability to the shipyards, which may pursue claims against us for damages under our newbuilding construction contracts and retain and sell our seventh generation drilling units to third parties.

As our current operating fleet is comprised of 10 drilling units, we rely heavily on a small number of customers and the loss of a significant customer could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.

As of December 31, 2015, we had seven customers for our current operating fleet of 10 drilling units. We are subject to the usual risks associated with having a limited number of customers for our services. Our three largest customers represented 19%, 15% and 15% of our revenues during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, respectively, and our seven customers represented, 99.4% of our revenues during the year ended December 31 2015. If our customers terminate, suspend or seek to renegotiate the drilling contracts for drilling units, as they are entitled to do under various circumstances, or cease doing business, our results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. Although we expect that a limited number of customers will continue to generate a substantial portion of our revenues, we will have to expand our pool of customers as we take delivery of our three newbuilding drilling units and further grow our business.

Currently, our revenues depend on 10 drilling units, which are designed to operate in harsh environments. The damage or loss of any of our drilling units could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our revenues are dependent on the Leiv Eiriksson , which will commence drilling operations offshore Norway, our drilling units, the Ocean Rig Corcovado , the Ocean Rig Mylos and the Ocean Rig Mykonos , which are operating offshore Brazil, the Ocean Rig Poseidon and the Ocean Rig Skyros , which are operating offshore Angola, and the Ocean Rig Athena , which is operating offshore Senegal, while the Eirik Raude, the Ocean Rig Olympia and the Ocean Rig Apollo are currently uncontracted.

Our drilling units may be exposed to risks inherent in deepwater drilling and operating in harsh environments that may cause damage or loss. The drilling of oil and gas wells, particularly exploratory wells where little is known of the subsurface formations involves risks, such as extreme pressure and temperature, blowouts, reservoir damage, loss of production, loss of well control, lost or stuck drill strings, equipment defects, punch throughs, craterings, fires, explosions, pollution and natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms.

In addition, offshore drilling operations are subject to perils peculiar to marine operations, either while on-site or during mobilization, including capsizing, sinking, grounding, collision, marine life infestations, and loss or damage from severe weather. The replacement or repair of a drilling unit could take a significant amount of time, and we may not have any right to compensation for lost revenues during that time. As long as we have only seven drilling units in operation, loss of or serious damage to one of the drilling units could materially reduce our revenues for the time that drilling unit is out of operation. In view of the sophisticated design of the drilling units, we may be unable to obtain a replacement unit that could perform under the conditions that our drilling units are expected to operate, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our future contracted revenue for our fleet of drilling units may not be ultimately realized.

As of March 30, 2016, the future contracted revenue for our fleet of operating drilling units, or our contract backlog, was approximately $2.6 billion under firm commitments. We may not be able to perform under our drilling contracts due to events beyond our control, and our customers may seek to cancel or renegotiate our drilling contracts for various reasons, including adverse conditions, resulting in lower daily rates.  For example, during 2016, three of our customers have terminated or canceled three of our drilling contracts. Our inability, or the inability of our customers, to perform under the respective contractual obligations may have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to certain risks with respect to our counterparties, including under our drilling contracts, and failure of these counterparties to meet their obligations could cause us to suffer losses or otherwise adversely affect our business.

We enter into drilling services contracts with our customers, newbuilding contracts with shipyards, interest rate swap agreements and forward exchange contracts, and have employed and may employ our drilling units and newbuild drilling units on fixed-term and well contracts. Our drilling contracts, newbuilding contracts, and hedging agreements subject us to counterparty risks. The ability of each of our counterparties to perform its obligations under a contract with us will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, general economic conditions, the condition of the offshore contract drilling industry, the overall financial condition of the counterparty, the dayrates received for specific types of drilling units and various expenses. In addition, in depressed market conditions, our customers may no longer need a drilling unit that is currently under contract or may be able to obtain a comparable drilling unit at a lower dayrate. As a result, customers may seek to renegotiate the terms of their existing drilling contracts or avoid their obligations under those contracts. Should a counterparty fail to honor its obligations under an agreement with us, we could sustain significant losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Most of our offshore drilling contracts may be terminated early due to certain events.

Under most of our current drilling contracts, our customers have the right to terminate the drilling contract upon the payment of an early termination or cancellation fee. However, such payments may not fully compensate us for the loss of the contract.

 

In addition, our drilling contracts permit our customers to terminate the contracts early without the payment of any termination fees under certain circumstances, including as a result of major non-performance, longer periods of downtime or impaired performance caused by equipment or operational issues, or sustained periods of downtime due to piracy or force majeure events beyond   our control.  In addition, during periods of challenging market conditions, our customers may no longer need a drilling unit that is currently under contract or may be able to obtain a comparable drilling unit at a lower dayrate. As a result, we may be subject to an increased risk of our clients seeking to renegotiate the terms of their existing contracts or repudiate their contracts, including through claims of non-performance. Our customers' ability to perform their obligations under their drilling contracts with us may also be negatively impacted by the prevailing uncertainty surrounding the development of the world economy and the credit markets. If our customers cancel some of our contracts, and we are unable to secure new contracts on a timely basis and on substantially similar terms, or if contracts are suspended for an extended period of time or if a number of our contracts are renegotiated, it could adversely affect our consolidated statement of financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

If our drilling units fail to maintain their class certification or fail any annual survey or special survey, that drilling unit would be unable to operate, thereby reducing our revenues and profitability and violating certain covenants under certain of our debt agreements.

Every drilling unit must be "classed" by a classification society. The classification society certifies that the drilling unit is "in-class," signifying that such drilling unit has been built and maintained in accordance with the rules of the classification society and complies with applicable rules and regulations of the drilling unit's country of registry and the international conventions of which that country is a member. In addition, where surveys are required by international conventions and corresponding laws and ordinances of a flag state, the classification society will undertake them on application or by official order, acting on behalf of the authorities concerned.  Four of our operating drilling units are certified as being "in class" by Det Norske Veritas, while the remaining six operating are certified as being "in class" by American Bureau of Shipping. The Leiv Eiriksson was credited with completing its last Special Periodical Survey in April 2011 and the Eirik Raude completed the same in   December 2012, while their next Special Periodical Survey is scheduled for 2016 and 2017, respectively. Our four sixth-generation operating drilling units are due for their first Special Periodical Surveys in 2016 and 2017. Our four operating seventh generation drilling units are due for their first Special Periodical Surveys in 2018, 2019 and 2020. If any drilling unit does not maintain its class and/or fails any annual survey or special survey, the drilling unit will be unable to carry on operations and will be unemployable and uninsurable, which could cause us to be in violation of certain covenants in certain of our debt agreements. Any such inability to carry on operations or be employed, or any such violation of covenants, could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our drilling units, including our seventh generation drilling units under construction following their delivery to us, may suffer damage and we may face unexpected yard costs, which could adversely affect our cash flow and financial condition.

If our drilling units, including our seventh generation drilling units under construction following their delivery to us, suffer damage, they may need to be repaired at a yard. The costs of yard repairs are unpredictable and can be substantial. The loss of earnings while our drilling units are being repaired and repositioned, as well as the actual cost of these repairs, would decrease our earnings. We may not have insurance that is sufficient to cover all or any of these costs or losses and may have to pay dry docking costs not covered by our insurance.

We may not be able to maintain or replace our drilling units as they age.

The capital associated with the repair and maintenance of our fleet increases with age. We may not be able to maintain our existing drilling units to compete effectively in the market, and our financial resources may not be sufficient to enable us to make expenditures necessary for these purposes or to acquire or build replacement drilling units.

We may have difficulty managing our planned growth properly.

We intend to continue to grow our fleet. Our future growth will primarily depend on our ability to:

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locate and acquire suitable drilling units;

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identify and consummate acquisitions or joint ventures;

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enhance our customer base;

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locate and retain suitable personnel for our fleet;

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manage our expansion; and

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obtain required financing on acceptable terms.

Growing any business by acquisition presents numerous risks, such as undisclosed liabilities and obligations, the possibility that indemnification agreements will be unenforceable or insufficient to cover potential losses and difficulties associated with imposing common standards, controls, procedures and policies, obtaining additional qualified personnel, managing relationships with customers and integrating newly acquired assets and operations into existing infrastructure. We may experience operational challenges as we begin operating our new drilling units which may result in low earnings efficiency and/or reduced dayrates compared to maximum dayrates. We may be unable to successfully execute our growth plans or we may incur significant expenses and losses in connection with our future growth which would have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

The market value of our current drilling units, and any drilling units we may acquire in the future, including our seventh generation drilling units under construction upon their delivery to us, may decrease, which could cause us to incur losses if we decide to sell them following a decline in their values or accounting charges that may affect our ability to comply with certain covenants in our secured credit facilities.

If the offshore contract drilling industry suffers adverse developments in the future, the fair market value of our drilling units may decline. The fair market value of the drilling units we currently own or may acquire in the future may increase or decrease depending on a number of factors, including:

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prevailing level of drilling services contract dayrates;

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general economic and market conditions affecting the offshore contract drilling industry, including competition from other offshore contract drilling companies;

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types, sizes and ages of drilling units;

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supply and demand for drilling units;

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costs of newbuildings;

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governmental or other regulations; and

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technological advances.

In the future, if the market values of our drilling units deteriorate significantly, we may be required to record an impairment charge in our financial statements, which could adversely affect our results of operations. If we sell any drilling unit when drilling unit prices have fallen and before we have recorded an impairment adjustment to our financial statements, the sale may be at less than the drilling unit's carrying amount on our financial statements, resulting in a loss. Additionally, any such deterioration in the market values of our drilling units could trigger a breach of certain financial covenants under our secured credit facilities and our lenders may accelerate loan repayments. Such a charge, loss or repayment could materially and adversely affect our business prospects, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations. As a result of the impairment review for the year ended December 31, 2015, it was determined that the carrying amount of the two of our drilling units was not recoverable and, therefore, an impairment loss of $415.0 million was recognized.

Because we generate most of our revenues in U.S. Dollars, but incur a significant portion of our employee salary and administrative and other expenses in other currencies, exchange rate fluctuations could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

 

Our principal currency for our operations and financing is the U.S. Dollar. A substantial portion of the operating dayrates for the drilling units, our principal source of revenues, are quoted and received in U.S. Dollars; however, a portion of our revenue under our contracts is   receivable in Brazilian Real and Angolan Kwanza. The principal currency for operating expenses is also the U.S. Dollar; however, a significant portion of employee salaries and administration expenses, as well as parts of the consumables and repair and maintenance expenses for the drilling units, may be paid in Norwegian Kroner (NOK), Great British Pounds (GBP), Canadian dollars (CAD), Euros (EUR) or other currencies depending in part on the location of our drilling operations. For the year ended December 31, 2015, approximately 47% of our expenses were incurred in currencies other than the U.S. Dollars. This exposure to foreign currency could lead to fluctuations in net income and net revenue due to changes in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to the other currencies. Revenues paid in foreign currencies against which the U.S. Dollar rises in value can decrease, resulting in lower U.S. Dollar denominated revenues. Expenses incurred in foreign currencies against which the U.S. Dollar falls in value can increase, resulting in higher U.S. Dollar denominated expenses. We have employed derivative instruments in order to economically hedge our currency exposure; however, we may not be successful in hedging our future currency exposure and our U.S. Dollar denominated results of operations could be materially and adversely affected upon exchange rate fluctuations determined by events outside of our control.

We are dependent upon key management personnel.

Our operations depend to a significant extent upon the abilities and efforts of our key management personnel. The loss of our key management personnel's service to us could adversely affect our efforts to obtain employment for our drilling units and discussions with our lenders and, therefore, could adversely affect our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations. We do not currently, nor do we intend to, maintain "key man" life insurance on any of our personnel.

Failure to attract or retain key personnel, labor disruptions or an increase in labor costs could adversely affect our operations.

We require highly skilled personnel to operate and provide technical services and support for our business in the offshore drilling sector worldwide. As of December 31, 2015, we employed 2,274 employees, the majority of whom are full-time crew employed on our drilling units. Under certain of our employment contracts, we are required to have a minimum number of local crew members on our drilling units. We will need to recruit additional qualified personnel as we take delivery on our newbuilding drilling units. Competition for the labor required for drilling operations has intensified as the number of drilling units activated, added to worldwide fleets or under construction has increased, leading to shortages of qualified personnel in the industry and creating upward pressure on wages and higher turnover. If turnover increases, we could see a reduction in the experience level of our personnel, which could lead to higher downtime, more operating incidents and personal injury and other claims, which in turn could decrease revenues and increase costs. In response to these labor market conditions, we are increasing efforts in our recruitment, training, development and retention programs as required to meet our anticipated personnel needs. If these labor trends continue, we may experience further increases in costs or limits on our offshore drilling operations.

Currently, our employees in Brazil and Norway are covered by collective bargaining agreements. In the future, some of our employees or contracted labor may be covered by collective bargaining agreements in certain jurisdictions. As part of the legal obligations in some of these agreements, we may be required to contribute certain amounts to retirement funds and pension plans and have restricted ability to dismiss employees. In addition, many of these represented individuals could be working under agreements that are subject to salary negotiation. These negotiations could result in higher personnel costs, other increased costs or increased operating restrictions that could adversely affect our financial performance. Labor disruptions could hinder our operations from being carried out normally and if not resolved in a timely cost-effective manner, could have a material impact our business. If we choose to cease operations in one of those countries or if market conditions reduce the demand for our drilling services in such a country, we would incur costs, which may be material, associated with workforce reductions.

Our operating and maintenance costs with respect to our offshore drilling units will not necessarily fluctuate in proportion to changes in operating revenues, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Operating revenues may fluctuate as a function of changes in supply of offshore drilling units and demand for contract drilling services, which, in turn, affect dayrates and the utilization and performance of our drilling units. However, costs for operating drilling units are generally fixed regardless of the dayrate being earned. Therefore, our operating and maintenance costs with respect to our offshore drilling units will not necessarily fluctuate in proportion to changes in operating revenues. In addition, should our drilling units incur idle time between contracts, we typically will not de-man those drilling units but rather use the crew to prepare the units for its next contract. During times of reduced activity, reductions in costs may not be immediate, as portions of the crew may be required to prepare drilling units for stacking, after which time the crew members are assigned to active drilling units or dismissed. In addition, as our drilling units are mobilized from one geographic location to another, labor and other operating and maintenance costs can vary significantly. In general, labor costs increase primarily due to higher salary levels and inflation. Equipment maintenance expenses fluctuate depending upon the type of activity the unit is performing and the age and condition of the equipment. Contract preparation expenses vary based on the scope and length of contract preparation required and the duration of the firm contractual period over which such expenditures are incurred. If we experience increased operating costs without a corresponding increase in earnings, this may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

In the event the major shipyard in Korea does not perform under its agreements with us and we are unable to enforce certain refund guarantees, we may lose all or part of our investment, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.   Similarly failure by us to honor our commitments under these shipbuilding contracts would result in events of default and affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

As of March 30, 2016, we had paid an aggregate of $344.4 million to the major shipyard in Korea in connection with our seventh generation drilling units currently scheduled for delivery in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The estimated remaining total construction payments for these three newbuilding drilling units, excluding financing costs, amounted to approximately $1.8 billion in aggregate as of December 31, 2015.

In the event the major shipyard in Korea does not perform under its agreements with us and we are unable to enforce certain refund guarantees with third party bankers due to an outbreak of war, bankruptcy or otherwise, we may lose all or part of our investment, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Similarly failure by us to honor our commitments under these shipbuilding contracts would result in events of default and would require us to certain default payments plus interest, including charges and expenses incurred by the shipyard as a direct consequence of the default. Upon default, the shipyard would be entitled to retain installments already paid by us, the cost of supplies already delivered to the shipyard and other claims for damages.  As such, events of default under the shipbuilding contracts for our newbuildings would adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

The derivative contracts we have entered into to hedge our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates could result in higher than market interest rates and charges against our income.

As of December 31, 2015, we had seven, interest rate swap and cap and floor agreements outstanding with a notional amount of $1.6 billion for the purpose of managing our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates applicable to indebtedness under our secured credit facilities, which were drawn at a floating rate based on LIBOR. Our hedging strategies, however, may not be effective and we may incur substantial losses if interest rates move materially differently from our expectations. Our existing interest rate swaps as of December 31, 2015 do not, and future derivative contracts may not, qualify for treatment as hedges for accounting purposes. We recognize fluctuations in the fair value of these contracts in our statement of operations. In addition, our financial condition could be materially adversely affected to the extent we do not hedge our exposure to interest rate fluctuations under our financing arrangements, under which loans have been advanced at a floating rate based on LIBOR and for which we have not entered into an interest rate swap or other hedging arrangement. Any hedging activities we engage in may not effectively manage our interest rate exposure or have the desired impact on our financial conditions or results of operations. At December 31, 2015, the fair value of our interest rate swaps was a net liability position of $8.2 million.

An increase in interest rates would increase the cost of servicing our indebtedness and could reduce our profitability.

Our debt under certain of our senior secured credit facilities bears interest at variable rates. We may also incur indebtedness in the future with variable interest rates. As a result, an increase in market interest rates would increase the cost of servicing our indebtedness and could materially reduce our profitability and cash flows. The impact of such an increase would be more significant for us than it would be for some other companies because of our substantial indebtedness.

A cyber-attack could materially disrupt our business.

We rely on information technology systems and networks in our operations and administration of our business. Our business operations could be targeted by individuals or groups seeking to sabotage or disrupt our information technology systems and networks, or to steal data. A successful cyber-attack could materially disrupt our operations, including the safety of our operations, or lead to unauthorized release of information or alteration of information in our systems. Any such attack or other breach of our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

A change in tax laws, treaties or regulations, or their interpretation, of any country in which we operate could result in a higher tax rate on our worldwide earnings, which could result in a significant negative impact on our earnings and cash flows from operations.

We conduct our worldwide drilling operations through various subsidiaries. Tax laws and regulations are highly complex and subject to interpretation. Consequently, we are subject to changing tax laws, treaties and regulations in and between countries in which we operate. Our income tax expense is based upon our interpretation of tax laws in effect in various countries at the time that the expense was incurred. A change in these tax laws, treaties or regulations, or in the interpretation thereof, or in the valuation of our deferred tax assets, could result in a materially higher tax expense or a higher effective tax rate on our worldwide earnings, and such change could be significant to our financial results. If any tax authority successfully challenges our operational structure, inter-company pricing policies or the taxable presence of our operating subsidiaries in certain countries; or if the terms of certain income tax treaties are interpreted in a manner that is adverse to our structure; or if we lose a material tax dispute in any country, particularly in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Brazil, Angola, Cyprus, Ghana, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Falkland Islands, Ireland, Congo, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea or Norway, our effective tax rate on our worldwide earnings could increase substantially and our earnings and cash flows from our operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our subsidiaries are subject to taxation in the jurisdictions in which their offshore drilling activities are conducted. Such taxation results in decreased earnings available to our shareholders.

United States tax authorities may treat us as a "passive foreign investment company" for United States federal income tax purposes, which may have adverse tax consequences to U.S. shareholders.

A foreign corporation will be treated as a "passive foreign investment company," or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for any taxable year consists of certain types of "passive income" or (2) at least 50% of the average value of the corporation's assets produce or are held for the production of those types of "passive income". For purposes of these tests, "passive income" includes dividends, interest, and gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. For purposes of these tests, income derived from the performance of services does not constitute "passive income." U.S. shareholders of a PFIC are subject to a disadvantageous U.S. federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by the PFIC, the distributions they receive from the PFIC and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their shares in the PFIC.

We do not believe that we are currently a PFIC, although we may have been a PFIC for certain prior taxable years. Based on our current operations and future projections, we do not believe that we have been, are, or will be a PFIC with respect to any taxable year beginning with the 2009 taxable year.

However, no assurance can be given that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, or a court of law will accept our position, and there is a risk that the IRS or a court of law could determine that we or one of our subsidiaries is a PFIC.  Moreover, no assurance can be given that we or one of our subsidiaries would not constitute a PFIC for any future taxable year if there were to be changes in the nature and extent of its operations.

If the IRS were to find that we are or have been a PFIC for any taxable year, our U.S. shareholders will face adverse U.S. tax consequences.  Under the PFIC rules, unless those shareholders make an election available under the Code (which election could itself have adverse consequences for such shareholders, as discussed below under "Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations"), such shareholders would be liable to pay U.S. federal income tax at the then prevailing income tax rates on ordinary income plus interest upon excess distributions and upon any gain from the disposition of the common shares, as if the excess distribution or gain had been recognized ratably over the shareholder's holding period of the common shares. In the event that our shareholders face adverse U.S. tax consequences as a result of investing in our common shares, this could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital through the equity markets.  See "Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations" for a more comprehensive discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. shareholders if we are treated as a PFIC.

We may be subject to litigation that, if not resolved in our favor and not sufficiently insured against, could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may be, from time to time, involved in various litigation matters. These matters may include, among other things, contract disputes, personal injury claims, environmental claims or proceedings, asbestos and other toxic tort claims, employment matters, governmental claims for taxes or duties, and other litigation that arises in the ordinary course of our business. We cannot predict with certainty the outcome or effect of any claim or other litigation matter, and the ultimate outcome of any litigation or the potential costs to resolve them may have a material adverse effect on us. Insurance may not be applicable or sufficient in all cases, insurers may not remain solvent and policies may not be located.

Investor confidence may be adversely impacted if we are unable to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

We have implemented procedures in order to meet the evaluation requirements of Rules 13a-15(c) and 15d-15(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, for the assessment under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404. Section 404 requires us to include in our annual reports on Form 20-F (i) our management's report on, and assessment of, the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and (ii) our independent registered public accounting firm's attestation to and report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in our annual report. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls over financial reporting, we will not be in compliance with all of the requirements imposed by Section 404. Any failure to comply with Section 404 could result in an adverse reaction in the financial marketplace due to a loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which ultimately could harm our business.

We and many of our subsidiaries are incorporated in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which does not have a well-developed body of corporate law, and as a result, shareholders may have fewer rights and protections under Marshall Islands law than under a typical jurisdiction in the United States.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and second amended and restated bylaws and by the Marshall Islands Business Corporations Act, or the BCA. The provisions of the BCA resemble provisions of the corporation laws of a number of states in the United States. However, there have been few judicial cases in the Republic of the Marshall Islands interpreting the BCA. The rights and fiduciary responsibilities of directors under the law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands are not as clearly established as the rights and fiduciary responsibilities of directors under statutes or judicial precedent in existence in certain United States jurisdictions. Shareholders' rights may differ as well. While the BCA does specifically incorporate the non-statutory law, or judicial case law, of the State of Delaware and other states with substantially similar legislative provisions, shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions by management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a United States jurisdiction.

Currently, your rights as a shareholder of Ocean Rig arise under Marshall Islands law as well as our existing Marshall Islands amended and restated articles of incorporation and by-laws. We have filed a registration statement with the SEC in connection with a possible redomiciliation from the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the Cayman Islands.  Upon redomiciliation, your rights as a shareholder of Ocean Rig will arise under Cayman Islands law and we will be required to adopt new constitutional documents in accordance with Cayman Islands law within ninety days of the effectiveness of the Redomiciliation which may include certain provisions that may be different than those that are currently in our organizational documents.

 

It may not be possible for investors to enforce U.S. judgments against us.

We and all but three of our subsidiaries are incorporated in jurisdictions outside the United States and a substantial portion of our assets and those of our subsidiaries are located outside the United States. In addition, all of our directors and officers reside outside the United States and a substantial portion of the assets of our directors and officers are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for U.S. investors to serve process within the United States upon us, our subsidiaries or our directors and officers or to enforce a judgment against us for civil liabilities in U.S. courts. In addition, you should not assume that courts in the countries in which we or our subsidiaries are incorporated or where our assets or the assets of our subsidiaries and directors and officers are located (i) would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our subsidiaries and directors and officers based upon the civil liability provisions of applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws or (ii) would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or our subsidiaries and directors and officers based on those laws.

We depend on officers and directors who are associated with affiliated companies which may create conflicts of interest.

Our officers and directors have fiduciary duties to manage our business in a manner beneficial to us and our shareholders. However, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. George Economou, is also the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of DryShips, our former parent company, and has significant shareholdings in DryShips. In addition, our Executive Vice President, Mr. Anthony Kandylidis is also the Executive Vice President of Dryships. Mr. Economou has fiduciary duties to manage the business of DryShips in a manner beneficial to DryShips and its shareholders and may have conflicts of interest in matters involving or affecting us and our customers or shareholders. In addition, Messrs. Economou and Kandylidis may have conflicts of interest when faced with decisions that could have different implications for DryShips than they do for us. The resolution of these conflicts may not always be in our best interest or that of our shareholders and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

In addition, we have engaged Cardiff Drilling and Vivid Finance Ltd. companies,  controlled by Mr. Economou to provide consulting and other services relating to our drilling units, as well as on financing matters relating to us and our subsidiaries. If any of these conflicts of interest are not resolved in our favor, this could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Furthermore, the indenture governing our Senior Secured Notes contains restrictions on our ability and the ability of our Restricted Subsidiaries (as defined in the indenture), including Drill Rigs Holdings, the issuer of the Senior Secured Notes, to engage in transactions with, or make certain payments to, affiliates. These restrictions do not prohibit us or any Restricted Subsidiary from entering into a management agreement with an affiliate, including DryShips and any of its subsidiaries, for the provision of drilling unit management services (and the making of payments thereunder) that is entered into in the ordinary course of business and that is in line with industry standards, so long as such agreement has been approved by a majority of the disinterested directors.

We are a "foreign private issuer," as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.  As a "foreign private issuer" the rules governing the information that we disclose differ from those governing U.S. corporations pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. We are not required to file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or provide current reports on Form 8-K disclosing significant events within four days of their occurrence. In addition, our officers and directors are exempt from the reporting and "short-swing" profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchase and sales of our securities. Our exemption from the rules of Section 16 of the Exchange Act regarding sales of ordinary shares by insiders means that you will have less data in this regard than shareholders of U.S. companies that are subject to the Exchange Act. Moreover, we are exempt from the proxy rules, and proxy statements that we distribute will not be subject to review by the SEC. Accordingly there may be less publicly available information concerning us than there is for other U.S. public companies.  These factors could make our common shares less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.

Risks Relating to Our Common Shares

We cannot assure you that an active and liquid public market for our common shares will continue.

Our common shares commenced "regular way" trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on October 6, 2011 and commenced trading in the Norwegian OTC market maintained by the Norwegian Security Dealers Association   in December 2010. We cannot assure you that an active and liquid public market for our common shares will continue.

Since 2008, the U.S. stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations.  In addition, the offshore drilling industry has been highly unpredictable and volatile. If the volatility in the market or the offshore drilling industry continues or worsens, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and may impact a potential sale price if holders of our common stock decide to sell their shares.

The market price of our common stock may be influenced by many factors, many of which are beyond our control, including those described above in "—D. Risk Factors" and the following:

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actual or anticipated variations in our operating results;

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changes in our cash flow, EBITDA or earnings estimates;

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changes in the price of oil;

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publication of research reports about us or the industry in which we operate;

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increases in market interest rates that may lead purchasers of common shares to demand a higher expected yield which, would mean our share price would fall;

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changes in applicable laws or regulations, court rulings and enforcement and legal actions;

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changes in market valuations of similar companies;

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announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions or capital commitments;

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adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we incur in the future;

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additions or departures of key personnel;

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actions by institutional stockholders;

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speculation in the press or investment community;

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terrorist attacks;

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economic and regulatory trends; and

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general market conditions.

As a result of these and other factors, investors in our common stock may not be able to resell their shares at or above the price they paid for such shares or at all. These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance.

Future sales of our common shares could have an adverse effect on our share price.

In order to finance the currently contracted and future growth of our fleet, we will have to incur substantial additional indebtedness and possibly issue additional equity securities. Future common share issuances, directly or indirectly through convertible or exchangeable securities, options or warrants, will generally dilute the ownership interests of our existing common stockholders, including their relative voting rights, and could require substantially more cash to maintain the then existing level, if any, of our dividend payments to our common stockholders, as to which no assurance can be given.  Preferred shares, if issued, will generally have a preference on dividend payments, which could prohibit or otherwise reduce our ability to pay dividends to our common stockholders. Our debt will be senior in all respects to our common shares, will generally include financial and operating covenants with which we must comply and will include acceleration provisions upon defaults thereunder, including our failure to make any debt service payments, and possibly under other debt.  Because our decision to issue equity securities or incur debt in the future will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions and other matters that are beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the timing, amount or form of our capital raising activities in the future.  Such activities could, however, cause the price of our common shares to decline significantly.

As of March 30, 2016, DryShips owned 56,079,533, or approximately 40.4%, of our outstanding common shares, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. George Economou, was deemed to beneficially own 7,421,860, or approximately 5.4% of our outstanding common shares and our Executive Vice President, Mr. Anthony Kandylidis, was deemed to beneficially own 1,684,512, or 1.2%, of our outstanding common shares. The common shares held by DryShips and beneficially owned by Mr. Economou are "restricted securities" within the meaning of Rule 144 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and may not be transferred unless they have been registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration is available. Upon satisfaction of certain conditions, Rule 144 permits the sale of certain amounts of restricted securities six months following the date of acquisition of the restricted securities from us. As our common shares become eligible for sale under Rule 144, the volume of sales of our common shares on applicable securities markets may increase, which could reduce the market value of our common shares.

DryShips, our former parent company, may affect the outcome of matters on which our shareholders are entitled to vote.

As of March 30, 2016, DryShips owned approximately 40.4%, of our outstanding common shares. DryShips may affect the outcome of matters on which our shareholders are entitled to vote, including the election of directors and other significant corporate actions. DryShips's interests may be different from your interests and the commercial goals of DryShips as a shareholder, and our goals, may not always be aligned.  The equity interests owned by DryShips may make it more difficult for us to maintain our business independence from other companies owned by DryShips and DryShips's affiliates.

Anti-takeover provisions contained in our organizational documents could make it difficult for our shareholders to replace or remove our current board of directors or have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a merger or acquisition, which could adversely affect the market price of our securities.

Several provisions of our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and second amended and restated bylaws could make it difficult for our shareholders to change the composition of our board of directors in any one year, preventing them from changing the composition of management. In addition, the same provisions may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that shareholders may consider favorable.

These provisions include:

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authorizing our board of directors to issue "blank check" preferred shares without shareholder approval;

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providing for a classified board of directors with staggered, three-year terms;

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prohibiting cumulative voting in the election of directors;

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authorizing the removal of directors only for cause and only upon the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;

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limiting the persons who may call special meetings of shareholders; and

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establishing advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted on by shareholders at shareholder meetings.

In addition, we entered into an Amended and Restated Stockholder Rights Agreement that makes it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the support of our board of directors. Under the Amended and Restated Stockholder Rights Agreement, our board of directors declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right, or a right, to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of our Series A Participating Preferred Shares for each of our outstanding common shares. Each right entitles the registered holder, upon the occurrence of certain events, to purchase from us one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Participating Preferred Shares. The rights may have anti-takeover effects. The rights will cause substantial dilution to any person or group that attempts to acquire us without the approval of our board of directors. As a result, the overall effect of the rights may be to render more difficult or discourage any attempt to acquire us. Because our board of directors will be able to approve a redemption of the rights or a permitted offer, the rights should not interfere with a merger or other business combination approved by our board of directors.

Although the BCA does not contain specific provisions regarding "business combinations" between corporations organized under the laws of the Republic of Marshall Islands and "interested shareholders," our second amended and restated articles of incorporation include provisions that prohibit us from engaging in a business combination with an interested shareholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested shareholder, unless:

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prior to the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested shareholder, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder;

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upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, the interested shareholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced;

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at or subsequent to the date of the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of shareholders by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested shareholder; or

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the shareholder became an interested shareholder prior to the consummation of our initial public offering under the Securities Act.

For purposes of these provisions, a "business combination" includes mergers, consolidations, exchanges, asset sales, leases and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested shareholder and an "interested shareholder" is any person or entity that beneficially owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any person or entity affiliated with or controlling or controlled by that person or entity, other than DryShips, provided, however, that the term "interested shareholder" does not include any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the 15% limitation is the result of action taken solely by us; provided that such person shall be an interested shareholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of our voting shares, except as a result of further action by us not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. Further, the term "business combination", when used in reference to us and any "interested shareholder" does not include any transactions for which definitive agreements were entered into prior to May 3, 2011, the date the second amended and restated articles of incorporation were filed with the Republic of the Marshall Islands.