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                                                                   EXHIBIT 99.1

                                       [BAYARD DRILLING TECHNOLOGIES, INC. LOGO]
CONTACT DAVID E. GROSE

Bayard Drilling Technologies, Inc.
Phone 405-840-9550
Fax 405-840-9553
4005 NW Expressway, Suite 550E
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116

PRESS RELEASE


BAYARD ANNOUNCES ADOPTION OF STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN


     OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA (AUGUST 21, 1998): Bayard Drilling Technologies,
Inc. (ASE: BDI) announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted a
Stockholder Rights Plan designed to provide additional negotiating leverage to
the Company's Board of Directors in the event of an unsolicited takeover bid and
to protect the Company's stockholders against inadequate offers and abusive
takeover tactics.  Under the terms of the Rights Plan, the Company will
distribute one Right for each outstanding share of Common Stock to holders of
record at the close of business on September 1, 1998. The Rights Plan would be
triggered if an acquiring party accumulates 15% or more of the Company's Common
Stock and would entitle holders of the Rights to purchase either the Company's
stock or shares in an acquiring entity with a market value equal to twice the
price paid. The Company would generally be entitled to redeem the Rights at one
cent per Right at any time until the 10th day following the time the rights
become exercisable. The Rights will expire on August 21, 2008.

     Commenting on the adoption of the Rights Plan, the Company's Chief
Executive Officer, James E. Brown said, "The adoption of the Rights Plan is a
means of safeguarding against abusive takeover tactics and is not in response
to any accumulation of shares or hostile takeover attempt. The Board of
Directors believes that the Rights Plan represents a sound and reasonable means
of safeguarding the interests of the Company's stockholders." Mr. Brown said
the Rights Plan is similar to those adopted by over 1800 other companies, and
that details of the new Rights Plan will be outlined in a letter to be mailed
to stockholders following the record date and in the Company's Form 8-K filing
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     Bayard Drilling Technologies is a leading provider of land drilling
services to major and independent oil and gas companies in the Mid-Continent
and Gulf Coast and South Texas regions. Bayard currently owns 88 drilling rigs
(73 of which are being actively marketed at the time of this release) and
focuses its operations onshore in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and
Mississippi. For further information, please contact Bayard's Chief Financial
Officer, David Grose, at 405-840-9550, ext. 204 or Investor Relations at
405-840-9550, ext. 201.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 21, 1998                             more
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o Page 2                    Bayard Announces Adoption of Stockholder Rights Plan


     The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe
harbor" for forward-looking statements. Certain information included in this
news release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature, such as
statements relating to the beneficial effects of adoption of the Rights Plan.
Such statements involve important risks and uncertainties that could
significantly affect anticipated results in the future and cause actual results
to differ from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements.



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