UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): December 15, 2010

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware		1-13926		76-0321760
(State or Other Jurisdiction		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer
of Incorporation)				Identification No.)

(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (281) 492-5300

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

     Check the appropriate line below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o		Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o		Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o		Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o		Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure

     Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby incorporates by reference into this Item 7.01 the summary report of the status, as of December 15, 2010, of the Company’s offshore drilling rigs attached as Exhibit 99.1, which is being furnished in accordance with Rule 101(e)(1) under Regulation FD and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and will not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, unless specifically identified therein as being incorporated by reference.

     Statements in this report that contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the current term, future dayrates, future status, start and end dates and comments concerning future contracts and availability, letters of intent, utilization, surveys, downtime and other aspects of the Company’s drilling rigs, as well as statements concerning the moratorium on, or suspension of, certain drilling activities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and enhanced safety requirements implemented by the U.S. government, related legal proceedings and outcomes thereof, the impact of these and related events on the Company’s operations and revenues, the effects of claims of force majeure and the outcomes of discussions with operators with regard thereto, rigs being upgraded or to be upgraded and the revised Ocean Victory contract. Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. A discussion of the risk factors that could impact these areas and the Company’s overall business and financial performance can be found in the Company’s reports and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors include, among others, general economic and business conditions, contract cancellations, customer bankruptcy, operating risks, casualty losses, industry fleet capacity, changes in foreign and domestic oil and gas exploration and production activity, competition, changes in foreign, political, social and economic conditions, regulatory initiatives and compliance with governmental regulations, customer preferences and various other matters, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Given these concerns, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the rig status report, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

     (d) Exhibits.

Exhibit number		Description
99.1		Rig Status Report as of December 15, 2010

SIGNATURES

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

Dated: December 15, 2010