Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. reported net income of $22.6 million, or $0.17 per share on a diluted basis, on revenues of $193.7 million for the first quarter of 2002, compared to net income of $36.8 million, or $0.27 per share on a diluted basis, on revenues of $205.2 million for the first quarter of 2001.
Diamond Offshore also announced the delivery of the "Ocean Baroness," an ultra-deepwater upgraded semisubmersible, which began its short term contract with Murphy Sabah Oil Co. Ltd. offshore Malaysia in March 2002. Baroness has been upgraded for operations in excess of 7,000 ft. of water and is designed
for development and extended reach drilling. The cost to complete the ultra-deepwater upgrade of the "Ocean Baroness" rig was approximately $170 million. The adaptability and structural soundness of the original Victory Class hull design contributed to the cost-effectiveness and timeliness of the upgrade.
A second Victory Class rig, the "Ocean Rover," arrived in a Singapore shipyard in January 2002 to begin its upgrade to similar deepwater specifications. The upgrade is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2003 at a cost of approximately $200 million.
Diamond Offshore has a fleet of 45 offshore drilling rigs consists of 30 semisubmersibles, 14 jack-ups and one drillship. The fleet operates in the waters of six of the world's seven continents.