Atwood’s VICKSBURG contract extended

Atwood Oceanics announced that the VICKSBURG has been awarded a three-month contract extension by NuCoastal (Thailand) to continue to drill offshore Thailand under a firm program that will now extend to the end of March 2010. This contract extension provides for two options to extend the program by an additional three months and an additional six months. The dayrate will remain at its current level of $90,000 for the extended drilling program and for all option periods. If all options are exercised, the drilling program could extend to the end of December 2010.