DryShips Inc. Announces Increased Backlog for Ocean Rig UDW Inc.

ATHENS, GREECE--(Marketwire - May 19, 2011) - DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) (the "Company" or "DryShips"), a global provider of marine transportation services for drybulk and petroleum cargoes and off-shore contract drilling oil services, announced today that Ocean Rig UDW Inc., its majority owned subsidiary, has secured further backlog, as Borders & Southern plc have declared two optional wells under the existing drilling contract for the harsh environment drilling rig Leiv Eiriksson. The two optional wells have been assigned to Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL) and provide an additional contract duration of approximately 90 days. The total contract value is now USD 126 million.

Mr. George Economou, Chairman and CEO of Ocean Rig UDW Inc., commented:

"We are pleased to announce the option declaration for the Leiv Eiriksson with Borders & Southern plc. The previously announced rig swap on this contract is a win-win solution for the customer and the Company as demonstrated by the declaration of the options. We continue to work on enhancing the backlog for Ocean Rig."

About DryShips
DryShips Inc., based in Greece, is an owner of drybulk carriers and tankers that operate worldwide. Through its majority owned subsidiary, Ocean Rig UDW, Inc., DryShips owns and operates 8 offshore ultra deepwater drilling units, comprising of 2 ultra deepwater semisubmersible drilling rigs and 6 ultra deepwater drillships, 4 of which remain be delivered to the company during 2011 and 2013. As of the day of this release, DryShips owns a fleet of 39 drybulk carriers (including newbuildings), comprising 9 Capesize, 28 Panamax and 2 Supramax, with a combined deadweight tonnage of over 3.4 million tons, and 12 tankers (including newbuildings), comprising 6 Suezmax and 6 Aframax, with a combined deadweight tonnage of over 1.6 million tons.

DryShips's 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 Statement
Matters discussed in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. The U.S. Private 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, dry-docking 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.