DryShips Inc. Announces a Public Offering of Its Senior Secured Notes Due 2017

ATHENS, GREECE--(Marketwired - Oct 1, 2014) -  DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) (the "Company" or "DryShips") announced today that it intends to offer senior secured notes due 2017 (the "Notes") pursuant to its effective shelf registration statement. The Company expects to use the net proceeds of the offering to refinance, in part, the Company's outstanding $700 million aggregate principal amount of 5% Convertible Senior Notes due December 1, 2014. The Notes will be secured by first priority liens on certain shares of common stock of the Company's subsidiary, Ocean Rig UDW Inc., owned by DryShips, plus certain additional or replacement collateral.

The Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000.00 and integral multiples of $1,000.00 in excess thereof.

Sterne, Agee & Leach Inc. will act as sole book-running manager for the offering. DNB Markets, Inc. and Cowen and Company, LLC will act as co-managers for the offering.

When available, copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc., Prospectus Department, 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172, email: syndicate@sterneagee.com. You may also obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. A shelf registration statement relating to the Notes was filed with the SEC and is effective. The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus.

About DryShips

DryShips Inc. is an owner of drybulk carriers and tankers that operate worldwide. Through its majority owned subsidiary, Ocean Rig UDW Inc., DryShips owns and operates 13 offshore ultra deepwater drilling units, comprising of 2 ultra deepwater semisubmersible drilling rigs and 11 ultra deepwater drillships, 1 of which is scheduled to be delivered to Ocean Rig during 2015, 1 of which is scheduled to be delivered to Ocean Rig during 2016 and 2 of which are scheduled to be delivered during 2017. DryShips owns a fleet of 39 drybulk carriers, comprising 13 Capesize, 24 Panamax and 2 Supramax with a combined deadweight tonnage of approximately 4.3 million tons, and 10 tankers, comprising 4 Suezmax and 6 Aframax, with a combined deadweight tonnage of over 1.3 million tons.

DryShips' common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market where it trades under the symbol "DRYS."

Visit the Company's website at www.dryships.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation.

Forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance and may include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The words "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including changes in charterhire and drilling dayrates and drybulk vessel, drilling rig and drillship values, failure of a seller to deliver one or more drilling rigs, drillships or drybulk vessels, failure of a buyer to accept delivery of a drilling rig, drillship, or vessel, inability to procure acquisition financing, default by one or more charterers of our ships, changes in demand for drybulk commodities or oil, changes in demand that may affect attitudes of time charterers and customer drilling programs, scheduled and unscheduled drydockings and upgrades, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents and political events or acts by terrorists.

Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by DryShips with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.