Helmerich & Payne, Inc. Invites You to Join Its First Quarter Conference Call on the Web

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In conjunction with Helmerich & Payne, Inc.'s First Quarter earnings release, you are invited to listen to its conference call that will be broadcast live over the Internet on Thursday, January 26, 2006, at 11:00 a.m. (ET) with Hans Helmerich, President and CEO; George Dotson, President, Helmerich & Payne International Drilling; John Lindsay, Vice President, U.S. Land Operations; Alan Orr, Vice President and Chief Engineer; and Doug Fears, Vice President and CFO of Helmerich & Payne, Inc.

What: Helmerich & Payne, Inc.'s First Quarter Earnings Release When: 11:00 a.m. ET (10:00 a.m. CT), Thursday, January 26, 2006 Where: http://www.hpinc.com/ How: Log on to http://www.hpinc.com/ then click on "Investors" Contacts: Doug Fears, Vice President and CFO: 918-588-5208 Juan Pablo Tardio, Manager, Investor Relations: 918-588-5383

Helmerich & Payne, Inc. is a contract drilling company that owns 91 U.S. land rigs, 11 U.S. platform rigs located in the Gulf of Mexico, and 27 international rigs, for a total of 129 rigs. Included in the total fleet of 129 rigs are 51 H&P-designed and operated FlexRigs. The Company has announced contractual agreements with customers that will result in the construction of 52 additional FlexRigs.

(Minimum Requirements to listen to broadcast: The Windows Media Player software, downloadable free from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/download/download.aspx , and at least a 28.8 Kbps connection to the Internet.) If you are unable to listen during the live webcast, the call will be archived on PR Newswire's website at http://www.prnewswire.com/ (for 90 days) and on Helmerich & Payne, Inc.'s website (for 12 months) at http://www.hpinc.com/ under "Investors Relations Information".

The information to be disclosed in the conference call and webcast shall include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, as disclosed by H&P, in its Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2005. As a result of these factors, H&P's actual results may differ materially from those indicated or implied by such forward-looking statements.