Transocean Inc. to Reactivate Semisubmersible Rig C. Kirk Rhein

Transocean Inc. said that Reliance Industries Limited has awarded a two-year contract for the semisubmersible rig C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. for drilling operations offshore India. The contract is expected to commence in December 2006 following the completion of a reactivation program, which has recently begun. The reactivation program does not involve an upgrade of the rig's current capabilities. Revenues that could be generated over the two-year contract period total an estimated $248 million, excluding revenues for mobilization, demobilization and client reimburseables. The C. Kirk Rhein, Jr., which entered active service in 1976 and was upgraded to its current specifications in 1997, has been idle in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico since March 2002. The company estimates a cost of $38 million to reactivate and mobilize the rig, comprised of approximately $22 million of period expenses, to be recognized as incurred and largely expected during the second and third quarters of 2006, deferred expenses of $8 million, to be amortized over the two-year contract, and capital expenditures of $8 million, to be depreciated over the remaining useful life of the rig. The C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. is the third reactivation of a Transocean Other Floater (mid-water unit) over the past 10 months, following the commencement of programs during the second half of 2005 for the semisubmersible rigs Transocean Prospect and Transocean Winner, which are expected to be completed in June and August of 2006, respectively.