Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. Declares Special Cash Dividend of $1.875 Per Share

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) announced today that the Company has declared a special cash dividend of $1.875 per share of common stock and a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share of common stock. Both dividends are payable on March 1, 2010 to shareholders of record on February 12, 2010.

The Company has adopted a policy of considering paying special cash dividends, in amounts to be determined, on a quarterly basis. Any determination to declare a special dividend, as well as the amount of any special dividend which may be declared, will be based on the Company's financial position, earnings, earnings outlook, capital spending plans and other relevant factors at that time.

Diamond Offshore provides contract drilling services to the energy industry around the globe and is a leader in deepwater drilling. Additional information on Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. and access to the Company’s SEC filings is available on the Internet at www.diamondoffshore.com.

Statements in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning future dividends, earnings, future cash flows, market conditions, future market improvements, future growth in demand for equipment types or in any region and future contracts. Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. A discussion of additional risk factors that could impact these areas and the Company’s overall business and financial performance can be found in the Company's reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors include, among others, general economic and business conditions, casualty losses, industry fleet capacity, changes in foreign and domestic oil and gas exploration and production activity, competition, changes in foreign, political, social and economic conditions, regulatory initiatives and compliance with governmental regulations, customer preferences and various other matters, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Given these concerns, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based.