HOUSTON, Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announced today that its monthly report of drilling rig status and contract information has been updated as of October 20, 2014.  The report titled "Monthly Fleet Status Report" can be found on the Company's website at www.rowancompanies.com.

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Notable events in the current report include:

• Rowan Resolute:  Commenced operations with Anadarko in the Gulf of Mexico on October 16, 2014 instead of early November 2014.
• Rowan Reliance:  Expected to commence operations with Cobalt in the Gulf of Mexico late February 2015 instead of late January 2015 due to late delivery of equipment.
• Gorilla II:  Awarded a one-well contract estimated for 80-90 days with Saka in Indonesia at current base rate of $146,000 per day, commencing in December 2014.
• Gorilla VI:  As previously indicated, commenced operations early September 2014.  Rig is off rate for an additional 23 days during 3Q/4Q 2014 due to customer and regulatory acceptance.

For the third quarter and full-year of 2014, the Company continues to expect jack-up out-of-service time to be approximately 8% and 9-10%, respectively.  Except for the out-of-service days specified in the Monthly Fleet Status Report for the Rowan Renaissance, the Company does not currently expect any further drillship out-of-service days in 2014.  To provide more visibility, out-of-service time through 2015 has been included on the Monthly Fleet Status Report.  The Company continues to expect out-of service time for the full-year of 2015 to be approximately 3-6% for its jack-ups and drillships, subject to fleet repositioning and market conditions. 

No operational downtime is included in projected out-of-service days, but the Company estimates jack-up operational downtime to account for approximately 2.5% of in-service days in current and future quarters.  The Company continues to expect drillship operational downtime to be approximately 5% after a break-in period of approximately six months up to one year when drillship operational downtime could be somewhat higher.

Out-of-service days include days for which no revenues are recognized other than operational downtime and cold-stacked days.  The Company may be compensated for certain out-of-service days, such as for shipyard stays or for transit periods preceding a contract.  However, recognition of any such compensation received is deferred and recognized over the period of drilling operations.  Operational downtime is when a rig is under contract and unable to conduct planned operations due to equipment breakdowns or procedural failures.  

Unless otherwise indicated, all day rates on the fleet status include estimated amortization of contract mobilization/modification revenues.  However, day rates exclude approximately $20-$30 million of other miscellaneous aggregate annual revenue the Company receives during rig operations (or approximately $5 to $8 million per quarter).  Day rates also exclude rebillable revenues which are equally offset by drilling expenses.

The Company has engaged a broker to assist in the potential sale of certain of our older jack-up rigs. 

This summary is provided as a courtesy and is not intended to replace a detailed review of the Monthly Fleet Status Report.  While the Company has attempted to include items it believes are significant, we encourage you to review the Monthly Fleet Status Report in detail.

Rowan Companies plc is a global provider of contract drilling services in the ultra-deepwater and shallow water jack-up market with a fleet of 34 offshore drilling units, including four ultra-deepwater drillships, two of which are currently under construction, and 30 jack-up rigs, 19 of which are rated high-specification.  The Company's fleet is located worldwide, including the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, the Middle East, the United States Gulf of Mexico, Southeast Asia, West and North Africa and Trinidad.  All four of the Company's ultra-deepwater drillships are now under long-term contracts.  The Company's Class A Ordinary Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RDC."  For more information on the Company, please visit www.rowancompanies.com.   

Statements herein that are not historical facts are forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements as to the expectations, beliefs and future expected business, financial performance and prospects of the Company. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to certain risks, assumptions, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements.  Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include oil and natural gas prices, the level of offshore expenditures by energy companies, variations in energy demand, changes in day rates, cancellation by our customers of drilling contracts, letter agreements or letters of intent or the exercise of early termination provisions, risks associated with fixed cost drilling operations, cost overruns or delays on shipyard repair, construction or transportation of drilling units, maintenance and repair costs, costs or delays for conversion or upgrade projects, operating hazards and equipment failure, risks of collision and damage, casualty losses and limitations on insurance coverage, customer credit and risk of customer bankruptcy, conditions in the general economy and energy industry, weather conditions and severe weather in the Company's operating areas, increasing complexity and costs of compliance with environmental and other laws and regulations, changes in tax laws and interpretations by taxing authorities, civil unrest and instability, terrorism and hostilities in our areas of operations that may result in loss or seizure of assets, the outcome of disputes and legal proceedings, effects of the change in our corporate structure, and other risks disclosed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Rowan Companies plc