Transocean Ltd.: Transocean Ltd. Announces Pricing of Senior Notes

Transocean Ltd. / Transocean Ltd. Announces Pricing of Senior Notes processed and transmitted by Hugin AS. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

ZUG, SWITZERLAND--(Marketwire - September 16, 2010) - Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) (SIX: RIGN) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Transocean Inc., priced a public offering of $1.1 billion of 4.95% Senior Notes due 2015, issued at a price of 99.948% of the principal amount, and $0.9 billion of 6.5% Senior Notes due 2020, issued at a price of 99.93% of the principal amount (together, the "Senior Notes"). Transocean Ltd. will fully and unconditionally guarantee the Senior Notes. The offering is expected to close on September 21, 2010, subject to the satisfaction of closing conditions.

Transocean will have the right to redeem all or part of the Senior Notes at any time prior to maturity at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest and a "make-whole premium."

Transocean Inc. intends to use the net proceeds from this offering (1) to fund the expected repurchase of its 1.625% Series A Convertible Senior Notes due December 2037 that holders of the Series A Convertible Senior Notes may require it to repurchase in December 2010 and (2) to fund the intended repurchase of a portion of its 1.50% Series B Convertible Senior Notes due 2037 and its 1.50% Series C Convertible Senior Notes due December 2037 through repurchases in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or in tender offers. Transocean Inc. plans to use the remainder, if any, of such net proceeds for general corporate purposes in its operations, including but not limited to capital expenditures, acquisitions or repayment or refinancing of debt. Pending application of the net proceeds from the sale of the Senior Notes, Transocean Inc. intends to invest such proceeds in short-term investments. Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are joint book-running managers for the Senior Notes offering.

The Senior Notes will be issued under a shelf registration statement filed by Transocean Ltd. and Transocean Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 2010, which became automatically effective.

This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The offering of these securities will be made only by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement. The Senior Notes may not be publicly offered, sold or advertised, directly or indirectly, in Switzerland. When available, copies of the prospectus and related prospectus supplement in respect of any of these securities may be obtained from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, telephone: [phone], facsimile: [phone] or by emailing [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail]), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Attn: High Grade Syndicate Desk or via fax at [phone] and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Brooklyn Army Terminal, 140 58th Street, 8th Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11220, via telephone at 1 [phone] or email at [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail]).

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this news release regarding purchases of Convertible Senior Notes and the timing, amounts, use of proceeds and other aspects of the proposed offering are forward-looking statements that involve certain assumptions. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, market conditions, closing conditions, actions by holders of the Convertible Senior Notes, Transocean's results of operations and other factors detailed in "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in Transocean's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the other consequences of such a development worsen), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Transocean disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Transocean

Transocean is the world's largest offshore drilling contractor and the leading provider of drilling management services worldwide. With a fleet of 139 mobile offshore drilling units plus three ultra-deepwater newbuild drillships under construction, Transocean's fleet is considered one of the most modern and versatile in the world due to its emphasis on technically demanding segments of the offshore drilling business. Transocean owns or operates a contract drilling fleet of 45 High-Specification Floaters (Ultra-Deepwater, Deepwater and Harsh-Environment semisubmersibles and drillships), 26 Midwater Floaters, 10 High-Specification Jackups, 55 Standard Jackups and other assets utilized in the support of offshore drilling activities worldwide. 

Analyst Contact:
Gregory S. Panagos
[phone]

Media Contact:
Guy A. Cantwell
[phone]

HUG#1444981

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Transocean Ltd.
Chemin de Blandonnet 10 Vernier Switzerland

ISIN: CH0048265513;