Australian oil and gas producer Beach Energy Ltd <BPT.AX> on Tuesday denied claims of abruptly terminating a $65 million drilling contract with U.S.-based Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc <DO.N>, following a lawsuit filed by the contract driller.
Bankrupt Diamond Offshore filed a lawsuit on Sunday with the Southern District of Texas, Houston, requesting the court to declare the termination notice "invalid", saying the delay in the delivery of a rig was "largely of Beach's own making".
Beach said it will defend the claim and that it remains committed to the development of the Otway Basin gas reserves off the southern coast of Australia.
(Reporting by Shriya Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
