FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * WELLS WILLIAM H   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ROWAN COMPANIES PLC [RDC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Former SVP & CFO (Last) (First) (Middle) 2800 POST OAK BLVD, SUITE 5450 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 09/07/2012 (Street) HOUSTON, TX 77056 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 09/07/2012   F   10,191 (1) D $ 36.15 (2) 84,920 (3) D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
WELLS WILLIAM H 2800 POST OAK BLVD SUITE 5450 HOUSTON, TX 77056			Former SVP & CFO

Signatures

/s/ Melanie M. Trent, Attorney-in-Fact		09/11/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	These shares were sold to the Company in payment of a tax liability due to the vesting of restricted shares awarded to the reporting person. Such restricted shares vested on September 7, 2012 upon the reporting person's retirement from the Company.
(2)	Sales price is the volume weighted average share price on September 7, 2012.
(3)	Includes 13,201 shares held in a savings plan account as of August 31, 2012. On Septebmer 7, 2012, in connection with the retirement of the reporting person from the Company, the restrictions on all unvested restricted shares granted to the reporting person lapsed.
Remarks: 39,936 stock appreciation rights ("SARs") also vested as of the reporting person's retirement date. The reporting person's vested options remain exercisable until their original expiration dates, respectively, and all of the SARs remain exerciseable until five years from the retirement date, in each case, unless otherwise earlier terminated after the reporting person's retirement date in accordance with the terms of the original grant notices.  In addition, 2,475 performance units ("PUs") vested as of the retirement date.  Future payout amounts under the PUs, if any, are subject to forfeiture upon breach of the reporting person's retirement agreement.  Both the SARs and PUs may be settled in cash or stock at the Compensation Committee's discretion.

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