SUGAR LAND, Texas, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Noble Corporation
(NYSE: NE) today reported that the Company has taken delivery of a new
high-specification jackup drilling rig constructed by Dalian Shipbuilding
Industry Co. Ltd. in Dalian, People's Republic of China. The Noble Roger
Lewis, the first of three such rigs being built for the Company, is in transit
to its inaugural drilling assignment in Qatar, where it will work under
contract to Shell.
The Noble Roger Lewis was constructed based on the proven F&G JU-2000E
design, which includes enhanced environmental protection, safety and drilling
efficiency features to meet the ever-increasing requirements of worldwide
exploration and production operations.
"With the delivery of the Noble Roger Lewis, the Company has successfully
added both a high-specification jackup and an ultra-deepwater semisubmersible,
the Noble Clyde Boudreaux, to our fleet this year," said Noble Chief Operating
Officer David W. Williams. "These additions, as well as the units we expect
to take delivery of in 2008 and 2009, continue to enhance our asset and
revenue base and further strengthen our ability to serve our customers."
The Noble Roger Lewis is designed to operate in water depths up to
400 feet and is equipped to drill wells in high-pressure/high-temperature
environments up to 30,000 feet deep. Compared to many other jackups, the
Noble Roger Lewis has more deck space, higher variable load, more drilling
capacity, greater cantilever reach (up to 75 feet), and accommodations for a
greater number of personnel.
Noble is the leading supplier of premium jackups (independent-leg
cantilevered jackups capable of operating in water depths of 250 feet to 400
feet) in the Middle East and India, with a fleet that now includes 17 drilling
units.
Noble Corporation is a leading provider of diversified services for the
oil and gas industry. The Company performs contract drilling services with
its fleet of 62 mobile offshore drilling units located in key markets
worldwide, including the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Middle East, Mexico, the North
Sea, Brazil, West Africa and India. The fleet count includes five rigs under
construction.
Additional information on Noble Corporation is available via the worldwide
web at http://www.noblecorp.com.
SOURCE Noble Corporation
/NOTE TO EDITORS: A high-resolution photo of the Noble Roger Lewis under
transport to the Middle East is available at:
http://www.noblecorp.com/Media/NobleRogerLewis.jpg/
CONTACT: investors, Lee M. Ahlstrom, Vice President - Investor Relations
and Planning, +1-281-276-6440, or media, John S. Breed, Director of Corporate
Communications, +1-281-276-6729, both of Noble Drilling Services Inc. for
Noble Corporation
Web site: http://www.noblecorp.com
