UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 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 22, 2005


                          McDERMOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


     REPUBLIC OF PANAMA              001-08430                   72-0593134
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission                 (IRS Employer
    of incorporation)               File Number)             Identification No.)


1450 Poydras Street, New Orleans, Louisiana                       70112-6050
(Address of principal executive offices)                          (Zip Code)


Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code:  (504) 587-5400
                                                     --------------

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

|_|  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the  Securities Act (17
     CFR 230.425)

|_|  Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
     240.14a-12)

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

|_|  Pre-commencement   communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

                    -----------------------------------------





Item 1.01     Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

     Today,  McDermott  International Inc.  ("McDermott") issued a press release
announcing  that on December 22, 2005, J. Ray McDermott  Middle East, Inc. ("JRM
Middle East"), as applicant,  and J. Ray McDermott,  S.A. ("JRM"), as guarantor,
entered into a Performance  Guarantee  Issuance  Facility of  $105,210,000  (the
"Facility") to provide  letters-of-credit  in connection with two projects of J.
Ray  McDermott  Eastern  Hemisphere  Limited.  A copy of the  Facility and press
release are included as exhibits 10.1 and 99.1, respectively, to this report and
are incorporated by reference.

     Other  parties to the  Facility  include  Mashreqbank  psc, as arranger and
facility  agent,  and various  other banks listed on Schedule 1 to the Facility.
JRM is a direct  wholly-owned  subsidiary of McDermott and JRM Middle East is an
indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of McDermott.

Item 9.01     Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c)  Exhibits

          10.1 Performance Guarantee Issuance Facility dated December 22, 2005

          99.1 Press release dated December 28, 2005


                                   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.


                                         McDERMOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.


                                         By: /s/Michael S. Taff
                                            ---------------------------------
                                         Michael S. Taff
                                         Chief Accounting Officer


December 28, 2005



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