UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
6-K
REPORT
OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the
month of April 2010
Commission
File Number 001-33922
DRYSHIPS
INC.
80
Kifissias Avenue
Amaroussion
15125, Athens Greece
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F
[X] Form 40-F
[ ]
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): [ ].
Note: Regulation S-T Rule
101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely
to provide an attached annual report to security holders.
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): [ ].
Note: Regulation S-T Rule
101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to
furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer
must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the
registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's
"home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the
registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is
not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the
registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already
been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on
EDGAR.
INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
On April
12, 2010, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (the "Committee") of
DryShips Inc. (the "Company") approved the engagement of Ernst & Young
(Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants S.A. ("Ernst & Young-Greece") as the
Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending
December 31, 2010. The Company's previous independent registered
public accounting firm was Deloitte, Hadjipavlou, Sofianos & Cambanis S.A.
("Deloitte").
Deloitte
reports on the Company's financial statements for each of the two fiscal years
ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 did not contain an adverse opinion or
disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to audit scope.
However, the report for the year ended December 31, 2008 included explanatory
paragraphs relating to an uncertainty as to the Company's ability to continue as
a going concern and the Company's change in accounting methods during 2008. The
report for the year ended December 31, 2009 included an explanatory paragraph
relating to an uncertainty as to the Company's ability to continue as a going
concern.
In
connection with the audits of the Company's financial statements for each of the
two fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, and through the period ended
April 12, 2010, there were no disagreements with Deloitte on any matters of
accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing
scope and procedures which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Deloitte,
would have caused Deloitte to make reference to the matter of such disagreements
in their reports.
The
Company engaged Ernst & Young-Greece as its new independent registered
public accounting firm as of April 14, 2010. During the Company's two
most recent fiscal years, Ernst & Young AS ("Ernst & Young-Norway") has
audited the financial statements of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary Ocean
Rig UDW Inc. Neither the Company nor anyone on its behalf has
consulted with Ernst & Young-Greece or Ernst & Young-Norway on any
matter that was the subject of a disagreement, as that term is defined in Item
304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions to Item 304 of
Regulation S-K, or a reportable event, as that term is defined in Item
304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.