DRYSHIPS INC

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549


FORM 6-K


REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


For the month of March 2014


Commission File Number 001-33922


DRYSHIPS INC.


74-76 V. Ipeirou Street

151 25, Marousi

Athens, Greece


(Address of principal executive offices)


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.


Form 20-F [X]       Form 40-F [  ]


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): [  ].


Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): [  ].


Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.






INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT


Attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 6-K is a press release of DryShips Inc. (the “Company”) dated March 14, 2014: DryShips Inc. Announces Ocean Rig UDW Inc.’s Proposed Offering of $500 Million Senior Notes Due 2019.









SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

  

DRYSHIPS INC.                         

  

(Registrant)

  

  

Dated:  March 17, 2014

By:  /s/George Economou    

  

  

George Economou

Chief Executive Officer








Exhibit 99.1

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DRYSHIPS INC. ANNOUNCES OCEAN RIG UDW INC.’S PROPOSED OFFERING OF $500 MILLION SENIOR NOTES DUE 2019

ATHENS, GREECE – March 14, 2014 - DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) (the “Company” or “DryShips”) a global provider of marine transportation services for drybulk and petroleum cargoes, and through its majority owned subsidiary, Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (“Ocean Rig”), of offshore deepwater drilling services, today announced that Ocean Rig intends, subject to market and other conditions, to offer $500 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2019 (the “Notes”) in a private offering within the United States to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and to certain other persons outside of the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act.

Ocean Rig intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, together with other available funds, to fund the repurchase or redemption of its 9.5% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2016, for which it is conducting a concurrent tender offer, and to pay related fees and expenses.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful. Any offer of the Notes will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum.

The Notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements under the Securities Act.

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 11 offshore ultra deepwater drilling units, comprising of 2 ultra deepwater semisubmersible drilling rigs and 9 ultra deepwater drillships, one of which is scheduled to be delivered to the Company during 2014 and two of which are scheduled to be delivered during 2015. DryShips owns a fleet of 42 drybulk carriers (including newbuildings), comprising 12 Capesize, 28 Panamax and 2 Supramax, with a combined deadweight tonnage of about 4.4 million tons, and 10 tankers, comprising 6 Suezmax and 4 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.

Investor Relations / Media:

Nicolas Bornozis

Capital Link, Inc. (New York)

Tel. 212-661-7566

E-mail: dryships@capitallink.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The 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, 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.