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LINK CORPORATION MAGAZINE • FALL 2009 Focused on what matters From Actual to Potential Learning from risk potential What’s in a Name? Meet the team that runs our rigs

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Page 1: Cert no. SW-COC-1530 · 2 YEARS Noble Gus Androes Noble Danny Adkins Noble Roger Lewis Noble Dave Beard Noble Jim Day ... Noble Piet van Ede Noble Chuck Syring Trimming the sails

LINKCORPORATION MAGAZINE • FALL 2009

Cert no. SW-COC-1530

Noble Drilling Services Inc.13135 South Dairy Ashford Suite 800

Sugar Land, TX 77478

Focused on what matters

From Actual to PotentialLearning from risk potential

What’s in a Name?Meet the team that runs our rigswww.noblecorp.com

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Noble worldwide

Semisubmersibles Drillships Jackups Submersibles Platforms

Noble delivers pacesetting performance across the spectrum of offshore drilling operations for customers worldwide with its fleet of 62 drilling rigs, which include 42 jackups, 13 semi-submersibles, four drillships and three shallow-water submersibles.

14 YEARS Noble Johnnie Hoffman

13 YEARS

Noble Ed HoltNoble Max Smith

12 YEARS

Noble Lewis DuggerNoble Sam NobleNoble Ed NobleNoble Gene Rosser

11 YEARS

Noble Lester PettusNoble John Sandifer

10 YEARS

Noble Percy JohnsNoble Tommy CraigheadNoble Carl Norberg

9 YEARS

Noble Bill Jennings Noble Ton van LangeveldNoble George McLeodNoble Roy Butler

8 YEARS

Hibernia M-71Noble Lynda Bossler Noble Amos RunnerNoble Homer Ferrington Noble Julie RobertsonNoble George SauvageauNoble Joe AlfordNoble Ronald Hoope Noble Earl Frederickson Noble David Tinsley

7 YEARS

Noble Tom JobeNoble Lorris BouzigardNoble Dick Favor

6 YEARS

Noble Gene HouseNoble Cees van Diemen Noble Lloyd Noble

5 YEARS

Noble Mark BurnsNoble Paul Wolff

4 YEARS

Noble Charles CopelandNoble Jimmy Puckett Noble Al White Noble Clyde BoudreauxNoble Don WalkerNoble Jim ThompsonNoble Byron WelliverNoble Therald MartinNoble Charlie Yester

3 YEARS

Dhabi II Noble Fri Rodli

2 YEARS

Noble Gus AndroesNoble Danny Adkins Noble Roger Lewis Noble Dave BeardNoble Jim DayNoble Eddie Paul

1 YEAR

Noble Roy RhodesNoble Paul RomanoNoble MurvlenkoNoble Roger EasonNoble Leonard JonesHbernia M-72Noble Piet van EdeNoble Chuck Syring

Trimming the sails

At Noble, we believe staying safe

isn’t the result of luck or random chance. Instead, it stems from the deliberate and intentional actions and behaviors of every individual aboard. Safety also requires flexiblity and the willingness to change and adapt, qualities found in abundance across Noble’s fleet. Congratulations to the following rigs that have reached these milestones in years without a Lost-Time Incident as of September 30, 2009.

The Noble LINK is published by and for the employees of Noble Corporation and its subsidiaries

and for our clients and friends.

Editor: John BreedDesign: Scott McFarlane

Comments regarding the Noble LINKshould be directed to:

John Breed, Noble Corporation13135 South Dairy Ashford, Suite 800

Sugar Land, Texas 77478(281) 276-6100

[email protected]

“One ship drives east and other drives west by

the same winds that blow. It’s the set of the sails

and not the gales that determines the way they go.”

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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2 Chairman’s Letter

4 Focusing on What MattersA new incident management standard

6 Case in PointRecord drilling times in Qatar’s North Field

8 Can You Hear Me Now?The family side of hearing protection

12 On the LevelStraight talk about compliance

14 Rigs on the Move

16 What’s in a Name?

Meet the team it takes to run a rig

21 Photo ContestWhy I stay safe

22 On the ClockEyewitness to History

25 Noble Efforts & Recognition

27 Work Safe ... Live SafeAn ounce of prevention … flu awareness

28 Parting Shots

Contents

On the Cover:On the lookout for any sign of

a “near miss” is Terrence Grady, a Safety Training Supervisor aboard the Noble Jim Thompson. Under Noble’s new incident man-agement system, there will be as much focus on potential injuries as on actual injuries. Learn more about “Focusing on what matters” on page four.

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LetterChairman’s

“Time well spent”

To say we were in uncharted waters at this time last year is a gross understatement. Oil prices had plummeted from the record highs that existed just months before.

Mainstays of the world economy, such as the “big three” U.S. car makers had been brought low as car sales all but stopped. Stock markets around the globe retreated, causing investors to look for the exits like patrons in a crowded theater when someone yells “Fire!” Whether mortgage defaults followed or led the collapse is a point of debate, but regardless, the real estate bubble burst and more homes went into foreclosure than at any time since the “Great Depression.” Unemployment, which was already on the rise, would hit record numbers, further shaking consumer confidence.

I don’t think I could write a more dire description of the state of affairs in late 2008 if I tried. Short of a rogue asteroid hitting the earth, things in general were about as bad as it gets. Against this backdrop, however, today we are making it through and there are at least a few indications things may be turning the corner. For example:

• The resiliency of corporate profits during the “Great Recession” means strong environments for business investment and employment growth as the economy recovers.

• East Asian economies are displaying signs of strik-ing growth already, with China leading the way. That nation’s monetary policy and infrastructure spending has its GDP growth rate up to nearly 8 percent this year.

• EU economies are stabilizing, especially France and Germany, which have exited from recession.

• Emerging-market countries will be the global growth drivers in the coming recovery as the U.S. consumer is no longer able to shoulder this alone.

Growth leaders in the next expansion will be China, Brazil, India and others.

To be sure, there is still pain to be endured due to the persistent weakness in many parts of the global economy, and as a result, unemployment may well remain high through 2010. To those who are out of work, an economic uptick can’t come too quickly. I don’t know when that will happen, but I can say with confidence, this recession will end. So far, they all have. To those families who have been impacted by the events of the last year, I encourage them to stay positive, be resourceful and above all, don’t stop trying.

I also feel safe in saying that the coming recovery is not likely to follow a familiar pattern. I believe it’s unrealistic to expect a return to the status quo. When we emerge, it will likely be into a new landscape. You can’t have the U.S. government own more than half of General Motors and expect things to suddenly be “normal.” The old business models have been rein-vented and the future business environment may look very different compared to what we have grown accustomed to throughout our 88 years in the U.S.

At Noble, we entered 2009 with a focus on cost control, working capital and liquidity, three constants in our operational model. These elements are impor-tant in any company and every economic climate, but really show their worth when revenue increases begin to stall. As a result of our quick action on a number of fronts, our financial performance remains strong.

We have also continued to refine and define our safety culture. There is more about the changes we are making to our incident investigation process included in an article in this edition. Does

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David W. WilliamsChairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

that indicate we were missing the mark before? To the contrary, our safety performance is better than ever, even when compared to our record-setting performance last year. Safety is cultural and we will forever be striving to improve that element of our company.

Looking ahead, our backlog is strong, giving us a solid foundation entering 2010 and beyond. We have added depth to our bench, as we continue to ensure that we have the best management team in the indus-try. Our shipyard projects are progressing well as we continue to expand our global presence both in terms of our fleet and the people who make these units run.

In short, Noble is performing well by almost every measure. All in all, 2009 will be remembered as time well spent by Noble. Could we have wished for better business conditions? You bet. But we didn’t let the undertow of bad circumstances overwhelm us. Neither did our customers, who continued to invest with the certainty that energy is a key ingredient to long-term economic prosperity.

As the year comes to a close, I want to thank our team members for their efforts in delivering out-standing performance this year. Regardless of what 2010 holds for Noble, I believe we have a team that is up to the challenge. Said simply, we have the focus, determination and drive needed to excel, attributes that continue to make Noble an industry leader year after year. To the Noble team around the world and to our valued customers, my wish is for a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Thanks and keep up the good work,

Recent additions to the management team

Roger Hunt, Senior Vice President - Marketing and ContractsWith more than 35 years in the offshore drilling industry, Hunt most recently served as Senior Vice President - Marketing at GlobalSantaFe, a position he held from 1997 to

2007. Additionally, Hunt has broad experience in evaluating opportunities for organic growth, rig acquisitions and corporate M&A opportunities. Hunt also has significant operational and project management experience gained in different venues around the world. His prior offshore drilling industry-related assignments included positions in Australia, the Gulf of Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and England.

Don Jacobsen,Senior Vice President - Operations

Immediately prior to joining Noble, Jacobsen served as Vice President, Global Drilling and Comple-tions, with Hess Corpora-tion, a global integrated energy company engaged

in exploration and production activities worldwide. In 2006, Jacobsen served as Vice President, Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Sustainable Devel-opment, at Shell International E&P, with responsibil-ity for global exploration, health, safety, security and environmental protection activities and improvement efforts. He was elevated to that position in 2006 after serving for three years as Vice President, Global Wells. Jacobsen started his oilfield career with Shell in 1981 and worked primarily in the drilling and completions sector of the business

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hat gets measured gets done” is a quote from management advice guru Peter Drucker that has been stated time and time again to help

organizations focus on what matters. Our own Peter Bridle, Noble’s Director of Health, Safety, Environ-ment and Quality, takes this a step even further by simply saying when it comes to safety “we are what we measure.” That thinking has caused Noble to seek improvement opportunities that may be found in areas we weren’t previously measuring.

“While it is, of course, human nature to want to quantify improvements,” says Peter, “the drilling indus-try has traditionally captured Lost Time Incident (LTI) and Recordable Incident data to measure progress, and until very recently, this has proven quite reliable.

“The problem, however,” says Peter, “is that in focusing on these indicators alone, we potentially miss a huge opportunity to truly help our team

members to work without injuries. Our new way of thinking requires us to take a hard look at situations where something unexpected happened but where no one (thankfully) was hurt. We call these near misses.”

A New Way of Seeing ThingsNoble recently launched a new incident manage-

ment standard that redefines how the Company views “serious” safety events. By focusing as much on what could have happened as to what actually happened, all of a sudden near misses are viewed very differently. By looking at the potential rather than the actual conse-quence, we can determine the Risk Potential ranking. This means that in the future, Noble may spend more time looking at a high-risk-potential near miss than a low-risk-potential recordable incident. This new way of thinking should add an important new tool to the Company’s safety toolbox.

The Significance of a Near MissFew would argue that Noble’s crews deliver out-

standing safety performance, leading the offshore industry year after year. In fact, the Company’s safety program has garnered more than a dozen industry awards since 2001. The simple fact, however, is there are no perfect programs.

“It’s a mistake to believe that even a rig with no LTIs in more than a decade is completely free from unsafe actions and conditions,” says Peter. “What that means is that almost every safety program poten-tially has some flaw somewhere —either in its design or through its application—and therefore there is always room for improvement. The important thing is to figure out where the flaws are and fix them. Unfor-tunately, in the past it has usually taken someone getting seriously hurt to find these flaws.”

But not all incidents result in injuries to people

“W

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and damage to property. “It can be tempting to ignore situa-tions where there’s no duty to report. But looked at another way, a near miss gives us a “free shot” to identify and fix a problem or correct a behav-ior before someone actually gets hurt. It could be something as minor as a crew member doing his job on the deck and almost getting hit by a screwdriver that gets dropped by someone doing maintenance on the level above.

Why We Don’t Take Advantage of Near MissesIncidents like this can potentially happen, but

because there were no actual reported injuries, tradi-tionally the bias was against investing time in better understanding the attitudes and actions that led to such events. Our goal is to fundamentally change that for the better.

“In my career I’ve come to believe there is a risk of people confusing good safety with good compliance,” says Don Jacobsen, Noble’s Senior Vice President - Operations. “Drillers tend to follow the IADC’s record keeping model that requires us to record and report all occupational injuries and illnesses in the workplace. But the IADC’s requirements don’t cover near misses. This can translate into a ‘no harm, no foul’ mentality. The reality is that the near miss that gets ignored today may result in a tragedy tomorrow. That’s why I am personally keen to see that the lessons learned from a near miss in one division are clearly communi-cated and acted on by the other operating divisions. ”

Noble’s new incident management standard addresses this issue and recognizes that near misses are an opportunity to prevent future incidents before they happen.

“This is but another step in advancing our Company safety culture,” says Peter. “What’s important to realize is that something went wrong and it could go wrong again. So you need to fix the problem now

because the next time you might not be so lucky. This isn’t about punishing people. Instead, it’s about better understanding how a near miss happened, which gives us a chance to prevent a serious injury from happening somewhere else in the fleet.”

Doing Something about Near MissesNot knowing about near misses is a real problem,

and it is one that takes individual effort to solve. “Noble has a proud history of taking care of its people and working safely” adds Peter. “Our challenge is to better explain the significance and relevance of reporting, understanding and acting on near misses. This means that every team member, on every Noble rig, in every division, must see them as a potential injury and learn to recognize and report them when they occur.”

“It also means what we measure from the board room down to the rig supervisors will need to change. Instead of simply relying on declining LTI and TRIR rates to show progress, our response to a reported near miss now needs to be ‘hey, my safety program is working and we have work to do. They’re telling me about a problem and giving me a chance to fix it.’ We are already seeing this shift occur, and I am confident we will fully make this transition from consequence management to risk management. In the end, Noble will have a safer and healthier workplace—fewer families will be impacted and it will again move us further along our journey toward eliminating all incidents and injuries from our operations.”

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With the cost of rigs and personnel running at tens of thousands of U.S.

dollars per day or more, cutting down on drilling time is literally “money in the bank” for operators. As a result, efforts to keep drilling time to a minimum are common, but successes can be hard to achieve.

Dramatically cutting drilling time brings added value to Noble’s customers and is possible in part due to the Company’s special mix of the right rigs, the right crews and top-tier communications between the operator and the Company. A good example of this can be seen in the results achieved in drilling the wells at Shell’s Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) project.

“A time of 75 days to drill, com-plete and flow test a production well in the North Field of Qatar was considered good performance in the industry,” said Anton Voss, Shell Drilling Manager. “We are completing wells for Pearl GTL in as little as 45 days.”

Pearl is on track to deliver 22 wells with a total saving of more than 600 days relative to what was considered good performance. On average, 10 days on each well

are saved through faster drilling and another 20 days by carrying out simultaneous drilling and completion activities. Drilling a well and then getting it ready for production usually happens in two stages: first, drilling and complet-ing the well, and second, getting it ready to produce.

For Pearl GTL, Shell is com-bining both in a program we call simultaneous operations, or SIMOPS. The jackets, or “legs,” of the permanent Pearl 1 and Pearl 2 platforms are already in place offshore. At the center of the SIMOPS approach is a temporary deck installed on each jacket. These temporary decks are used to carry out the entire second stage of the operations at the same time that the first stage is conducted by the much larger mobile drilling rigs positioned over the tempo-rary decks.

What seems straightforward enough, in fact, was the culmi-nation of two years of planning. Shell engineers had to consider the safety and design aspects of having more staff on the main rig, including supplies of power, light-ing, air and water. Almost every feature of a conventional rig had to be rethought.

“We modified the rig and installed a nine-story staircase and elevator between jacket and rig and a gantry crane below the rig to handle perforating guns,” says Bart Lismont, Shell’s Upstream Manager in Qatar. “If you could picture what this entails it’s quite

With the help of the Noble Roger Lewis and its crew, Shell has achieved record drilling times on wells in Qatar’s North Field at the Pearl GTL project — resulting in significant savings.

Cutting to the chase at Pearl

Case in point...

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incredible; the rig — a jackup rig in this instance — is cranked up 12 stories high above the water to allow for the perforation activity below. Again, planning and tech-nical know-how are critical.”

The concept was refined over several months of planning and meetings between Shell engineers and Noble Operations

Managers Robert Spence and Frank Vinson as well as Opera-tions Assistant Joey Kawaja and Project Manager Ali Nahavandi. Much of the special equipment had to be custom designed and orders placed far ahead of time in order for the material to be onsite when required.

“It was a great example of coop-eration and coordination between Noble and Shell with extremely positive results,” says Charlie Yester, Noble’s Middle East VP and Division Manager.

For more information about GTL, please visit www.shell.com/.

Cutting to the chase at Pearl

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Can you hear me Now? E

very so often my father’s voice comes out of my mouth, and strangely enough it is motivated by some of the same things that motivated him – keeping the kids safe. This

happened just the other day when my wife, teenage son and I were driving back from vacationing for a few days on this Texas Gulf Coast.

The lad in question was sprawled out watching the miles of bone-dry cotton fields passing by outside his window. In a single, swift move rivaling the speed of a king cobra, he inserted “ear buds” into his ears, with his fingers having already pressed “play” on his MP3 player.

I might have missed all of this action except that the rock concert-level of sound leaking from the edges of his ears was enough to rattle my teeth. That’s when I heard my dad’s voice (more than a little force-fully) saying the words I had heard so often when I was my son’s age, “Turn that down! Don’t you know you’ll damage your hearing?” My dad was correct then, as was my advice to my son today. While I was glad he listened to me, the whole notion of protect-ing our hearing got me thinking. Heaven know I sure wasn’t thinking about it when I was his age.

Stepping Back in TimeI know this will no doubt render me an artifact in

the minds of some readers, but there sure wasn’t much I liked better than cranking up the 8-Track in my 1970 Chevelle for all the world to hear. It was plenty loud to warrant my father’s disdain, but how loud was it?

A standard car radio had anywhere from 4 to 5 watts or 80 decibels in the ’70s. My guess is mine was a little louder, thanks to the swanky Jensen® speakers I had wired up in the back. It also had a graphic equal-izer and an FM converter that allowed me to hear FM

over the stock AM radio – but loud was really what I was after.

I can almost hear “Free Ride” blaring over those tinny speakers today, that is, if it weren’t for the tin-nitus that muffles almost every sound in my world, from my mother’s voice over the phone in our weekly calls to the nature sounds at night while camping. Like every generation, we believed it was our charge in life to shock and amaze our parents, and a loud radio was just the trick. But the trick backfired, and it may do so to an even greater level on today’s children and adults with even more harmful results.

Not Your Father’s Car Radio While today’s automobile sound systems can put

out twice the volume of the cars of a decade or two ago, there’s an even greater threat to this genera-tion’s ears. Researchers fear the growing popularity of portable music players and other items that attach directly to the ears, including cell phones, are laying the groundwork for far greater hearing loss and at an earlier age than ever before.

“It’s a different level of use than we’ve seen in the past,” says Robert Novak, director of clinical educa-tion in audiology at Purdue University in a recent AP article. “It’s becoming more of a full-day listening experience, as opposed to just when you’re jogging.”

Increasingly, Novak says, he’s seeing too many young people with “older ears on younger bodies” — a trend that’s been building since the portable Walkman made its debut a few decades back.

“It may be that we’re seeing the tip of the iceberg now,” says Dr. John Oghalai, director of The Hearing Center at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, who’s treating more of this age group. “I would not be sur-prised if we start to see even more of this.”

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Can you hear me Now?

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It’s a Noisy World Out ThereWhile earbuds may be the WMD of hearing loss,

noise-induced hearing loss happens in a number of ways, from attending noisy concerts and clubs to using firearms or loud power tools and even recre-ational vehicles (snowmobiles and some motorcycles are among the offenders).

One telltale sign that you’ve done damage to your ears is when you leave a loud venue with ringing ears. If you rest your ears, they might recover, at least par-tially, doctors say. But with repeated exposure comes more damage to the hair cells in the inner ear. These cells are central to maintaining good hearing.

Each loud sound you hear means less hearing later, so minor adjustments can have a big effect on how much hearing we’re going to lose from here on out. Here are some tips on preventing hearing loss from Wired magazine’s Eliot Van Buskirk:

Get your hearing checked: Boring, I know, but this is the only way to gauge changes in your ears. Get them checked every once in a while, just like you would your eyes, so that changes in sensitivity can be measured objectively from visit to visit.

Use sound-isolating or noise-canceling headphones: Many people turn their MP3 players up to unsafe volumes to compete with background noise, because in order to hear a song clearly and with a full dynamic range, you need a good amount of signal-to-noise ratio. Rather than turning up your volume, you can achieve the same effect by lowering the “noise” part of the equation. Use sound-isolating or noise-canceling headphones.

Take the “lawn mower test”: Pretty much everyone knows how loud a lawn mower is. If some-thing sounds as loud as a lawn mower, you need hearing protection. For lawn mower-loud music, look for the more expensive earplugs that attenuate every frequency to more or less the same degree. You can even get them custom fitted.

Pay attention to your genes: Until doctors (and lawmakers) figure out a way to let us see our own genetic likelihood for various ailments, the best indi-cator of genetic hearing loss is your family. If grandpa can’t hear you, redouble your efforts to protect your ears.

Quit smoking: Yes, smokers have yet another thing to worry about health-wise. Evidently, smoking can damage your hearing — a lot. One study found that smokers have almost twice the chance of devel-oping hearing loss than nonsmokers.

Remember to turn down, too: While you’re walking around listening to music, there is a ten-dency to keep ratcheting up the volume every time there’s a quiet song or loud background noise, until the overall volume is way too loud. Fight the urge and try turning it down a notch.

Set an example: Just as children learn to “buckle up” from not only their parents’ words but also their example, practicing hearing safety signals the importance of hearing health. Wearing ear plugs while working with power tools, yard equipment or other high-noise-producing devices helps extend the benefits of similar practices required on the job.

Online Extra: go to www.noblecorp.com/link to learn more about detecting harmful noises.

John Breed

Director - Corporate Communications

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Rice is nice

If the volume’s too loud on the MP3 player you listen to all day, your battery won’t be the only thing that fades. Turning down the volume and eating right will help keep your hearing sharper. Doctors agree that two nutrients are of utmost importance in protecting our hearing over the long term.

Folic acid: One study found that people put the brakes on age-related hearing loss by taking 800 micrograms of folic acid daily for three years. Folic acid may help lower homocysteine, a possible culprit in some kinds of hearing loss, or it may help boost blood circulation to key ear structures. Too much folate isn’t great, so while the study supplemented with high amounts, we recommend getting 400 mcg a day of folic acid from food and 400 from your multivitamin. It’s best to get 200 mcg in the morning and 200 at night to keep a steady level.

Magnesium: When 300 young, healthy people spent two months supplementing their diets with a daily drink that contained magnesium, their ears stayed sharper, even though their jobs were filled with high levels of noise (they wore earplugs). It’s not clear how magnesium pro-tects hearing, but you should be getting all the magnesium you need no matter what. Aim for 400 to 500 mg of the mineral a day. It can be a little hard to get, even from magnesium-rich foods like peanut butter, almonds, brown rice and halibut, so you may want a supplement.

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Day in and day out we all make choices. Some are minor, such as whether to have a second cup of coffee in the morning. Others may impact us for a lifetime, such

as failing to buckle a seat belt before putting the car in gear. Then there are choices regarding our conduct at work and the way we deal with others. In this area the stakes are high and the repercussions from making bad decisions can literally end an otherwise promising career. Alternatively, making the right choices holds its own reward for you and Noble.

Support from the Top DownAs a Company, we know that our continued success

depends on making the right decisions ethically and legally in all that we do. As often explained by our Chairman, President and CEO, David Williams, “From our Company’s earliest beginnings, the philosophy and character of Noble and the management style they imply have been created and nurtured. We refer to this philosophy as The Noble Way.” Noble’s hard-earned and well-deserved reputation for trust, honesty and candor is something that must be pro-tected and renewed daily. Achieving this goal and maintaining it means being mindful of our responsi-bilities to our shareholders, our customers, our part-ners, our communities and one another. One way that we work to achieve those goals is with the support of our corporate compliance program.

In addition to our philosophy and reputation, the importance of a corporate compliance program is reinforced through legal requirements such as the New York Stock Exchange listing rules, Sarbanes-

Oxley regulations and the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines, to name a few. But for Noble, compliance goes beyond all that as commitment to the way busi-ness should be conducted. As Mr. Williams affirms, “Noble is committed to maintaining the highest levels of professional and ethical standards in the conduct of its business affairs, and integrity is key to our success. Accordingly, we place the greatest impor-tance upon preserving and upholding Noble’s reputa-tion for honesty, integrity and high ethical standards.

In April, James Sanislow joined Noble as its Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer. A graduate of Massachusetts Maritime Academy, James brings his marine industry experience from that of a mer-chant marine deck officer to attorney. Now a part of the Noble team, James will lead our corporate compli-ance program, which includes serving as an attorney in our Legal Department.

Where Is Compliance Going? Noble’s commitment to compliance is an integral

part of The Noble Way. In enhancing a compliance program, it is important to first identify and monitor the value-added by the program, while key elements of any corporate compliance program also include:

• Core values and the Code of Business Conduct & Ethics

• Ethics and compliance awareness and training• Employee communications and the ability to raise

issues to senior managementA common mistake is to allow such a program to

become a corporate function. Instead, our compli-

ON THE LevelStraight talk about smart choices with

Noble’s Chief Compliance Officer

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ance program utilizes well established internal resources such as Human Resources, Internal Audit, Risk Management, Information Technology, Health Safety Environment & Quality, and Legal. Through the collaborative work coupled with the ability to manage conflicts of interest, should they arise, we are able to provide the linkage for compliance across the enterprise.

While Compliance provides structure and raises awareness, it is also a valuable resource. Compliance is available not only for communicating concerns but also for getting answers or clarification. Likewise, the Noble Line is more than just a “hotline,” it is a resource for employees that can also be used as a means to request information when more direct chan-nels do not seem available.

Training and outreach tools play an important role in ensuring compliance, but in the end, the attitude and actions of individual employees set the tone that fosters a healthy ethical environment. James says that among the most important behaviors Noble employ-ees should exhibit, leadership by example is key; to hold ourselves and others accountable; to keep prom-ises and commitments; to support others in adhering to the Company’s ethical standards; and to encourage transparency.

“It is also very important to be open and honest at all times, but understand we have a legal and ethical duty to our shareholders and customers to protect confidential or proprietary information,” adds James. “The bottom line is that making what is already a solid program better will center on the strength of our communications.

“The more we can do to ensure employees weigh the potential consequences of decisions, the more we will empower actions consistent with The Noble Way. It’s also up to us to recognize the ethical issues our employees face and give them the support and the tools needed if they are ever in doubt or have ques-tions. No Noble employee should ever feel like they are in it alone, and corporate compliance is there to bridge that gap wherever it should arise.”

I have a compliance concern. Now what do I do?

“When you are faced with a difficult situation and are unsure of the appropriate response,” says James, “you should first consult your supervisor for guidance. However, there may be times when you are not comfortable seeking advice from your supervisor on a specific issue, or feel the need to stay anonymous. In these cases, you have the Noble Line as another option,” says James.

Noble employees can call the U.S. toll-free ethics line (877-285-4162), which is also accessi-ble toll-free from outside the U.S. via direct access numbers published on the Company intranet site. The Noble Line is managed by a firm outside the Company, which then sends the report to Noble’s Compliance Office. Alternatively, if you need to reach the Compliance Office, Noble’s Chief Com-pliance Officer is available at:

E-mail: [email protected]: +1-281-276-6261Facsimile: +1-281-276-6336

“In this area the stakes are high and the repercussions from making bad decisions can literally end an otherwise promising career.”

ON THE Level

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on the MoveRigs

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After arriving safely in Rotterdam in August, the Noble Scott Marks commenced opera-tions in the third quarter under a two-year contract with Venture Production.

The dynamically positioned ultra-deepwater semisubmersible Noble Danny Adkins departed Singapore recently. Currently under wet tow to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the Adkins is expected to begin its four-year contract with Shell in the first quarter of 2010.

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Rig positions differ in names and may vary accord-ing to local regulations or client requests, and also are specific to some rig types. The four types of rigs we operate (drillships, semisubmersibles, jackups and submersibles) are divided in floating and non- floating units. Jackups and submersibles literally sit on the floor of the ocean when drilling. Floating rigs, the drillships and semis, are either moored or held in place by large thrusters – using a system called dynamic positioning (DP). Some job positions are found aboard virtually all rigs, while other positions are unique to a particular type of unit. Generally, all positions aboard a rig are organized in three major departments: Drilling, Marine and Maintenance.

Titles within each department can sometimes be confusing to the novice, but here are a few of the most common rig-based jobs at Noble:

Drilling Department This is where “the rubber meets the road.” The

Drilling Department conducts the most obvious activities within the Company, drilling for oil or gas. As such this group’s focus is primarily the rig floor and, along with the equipment on the derrick and inside the pump room.

Rig Manager — The Rig Manager is responsible for operational safety, efficiency and client relations aboard the drilling unit. The Rig Manager provides leadership and direction to meet the customer’s drill-ing program requirements within Noble programs, policies and procedures. Rig Managers are supported by the Assistant Rig Managers (ARM).

Subsea Engineer — Subsea Engineers are responsible for maintenance and repair of blow out

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oble has as many as 100 team members aboard some of our rigs — an amount in which many people express disbelief that it could take so many people to drill a well. “What do all those people do?” they ask. The simple truth is that offshore operations are a model of efficient, tightly coordinated activity, wherein every person aboard performs a set of tasks which in combination deliver oper-ational excellence to our customers.

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preventer (BOP) stack, control and support systems, hydraulic and mechanical components and support systems. They also monitor all rig subsea systems, direct troubleshooting and make repairs as neces-sary. They work closely with the Rig Maintenance Supervisor, the Barge Engineer, and the Rig Manager to meet operational requirements.

Driller — The Driller is in charge of operations on the rig floor and the drilling process. The Driller is “in the driver’s seat” and as a result many aspects of keeping the crew safe depend on his decisions and knowledge. He has to be thoroughly familiar with well pressure calculations and adverse conditions that might occur during drilling operations.

Assistant Driller — Working under the direc-tion of the Driller, the Assistant Driller also works to support ongoing rig operations. As such, he may operate or monitor rig equipment and support

systems under the direction of the Driller. Likewise, the Assistant Driller may perform general drilling rig operations, maintenance, and house-keeping duties and material preservation activities under the super-vision of the Driller.

Derrickman — The Derrickman operates and monitors derrick equipment and mud systems under the direction of the Driller. As with the Assistant Driller, the Derrickman may perform general derrick, shaker area and pump room house-keeping duties and material preservation activities under the super-vision of the Driller.

Floormen — Floormen are the production team on the rig floor. In photos of the rig floor these crew members are often seen assembling lengths of drill pipe, changing out drill bits and ensuring the string is well connected.

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Marine DepartmentAs its name implies, the Marine Department’s

focus is on the safe operation of the vessel. Decks, tanks, pontoons (the “legs” of the rigs), sponsons (additional reenforcement structures on the sides) and any other physical spaces or areas that are part of the vessel structure are managed by the Marine Department.

Captain — The Captain on a drillship or DP semisubmersible has many of the same duties he would have on any commercial vessel. His license is an international requirement for float-ers, obtained with years of navigation experience. Most Captains also hold degrees from maritime colleges or academies. Apart from ensuring the safe navigation and placement of the vessel, the Captain manages a number of positions within the Marine Department.

Barge Engineer — A Barge Engineer’s role is similar to that of a Captain, but instead he serves on rigs that are not self-propelled.

Ballast Control Operator — The BCO looks after the stability of the rig and may some-times act as a Barge Engineer on the night shifts. Among other tasks, he takes care of the bulk transferring process through complex systems of valves and tanks. The BCO makes sure all tanks and void spaces are ballasted (leveled) in a way that equilibrium is maintained on the vessel.

Dynamic Positioning Operator — The DPO takes care of the physical stability of the rig and operates sophisticated electronic equip-ment that keeps the rig counterbalancing due to the action of the forces of the sea. This position requires a nautical license similar to that of Mate category.

Chief Mate — This position works as a relief

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for the Captain, especially during the night shifts. It is very similar to the Deck Pusher, differing only in regard to the nautical license required to act on Captain’s behalf when applicable. The Chief Mate supervises the Deck Pusher and the Crane Operator on their daily routine, organizing the safest weigh distribution and storage of the entire heavy load on board our decks.

Deck Pusher — Deck Pushers function as a general coordinator of the deck, directly supervising the Crane Operator and deck crew.

Crane Operator — Crane Operators supervise the Roustabout crew, inspect and operate the crane, and communicate with supply boats to load and off load large-size equipment and heavy material.

The Marine Department also shelters under its umbrella the Radio Operator, who deals with docu-mentation, crew change helicopters and supply boat communications, as well as the Able Seaman and the Boat Swain who take care of mooring equipment and nautical devices.

Maintenance DepartmentLife offshore wouldn’t be possible without a team

whose jobs it is to take care of the equipment that produces energy, clean water, drills the well and warns us when safety is at risk. Working behind the scenes, the maintenance crew is a key component of any rig’s crew.

RMS — The Rig Maintenance Supervisor holds a Chief Engineer license, which is a nautical require-ment. He is responsible for the maintenance crew.

Second and Third Engineers — These posi-tions are exclusive to the drillships, and their titles and licenses vary according to local regulations. The Second Engineer relieves the RMS when he is not available in the Engine Room, and the Third Engineer

may relieve the Second Engineer or may manage the night shift when applicable. On non-self-propelled rigs they are replaced by the ERO, Engine Room Operator.

Mechanic — Aboard a rig, the Mechanic has to be “Mr. Fix It.” The Mechanic must have a very good knowledge of the equipment on board the rig. From drilling equipment to food processors, he is the one that, together with its assistants, fix the problems during operations. He also manages the periodic maintenance and proper inspections on all equip-ment on board.

Motorman — Motormen perform checks on motors and engines, assuring their normal operation. They also participate in changing fuel for the engines, as well as on the discharge process of old lube oil in environmentally friendly drums.

Electrician — Electricians maintain and repair all electrical systems, from ice cream machines to the Silicon-Controlled Rectifier. The SCR system changes the kinetic energy of diesel engines into the AC and DC power that all the rig components operate on. In some rigs there are Trainee Electricians to assist on these tasks.

Electronic Technician — Also called an “ET”, these technicians work on electronic equipment, including the rig radar, stability equipment and navi-gation controls.

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Welder — Since everything on the rig is made of metal, a welder is right at home. A rig welder must be skilled at layout, fabrication and sometimes design. He must be able to perform repairs on virtually any metal components of the rig’s equipment.

STS — The Safety Training Supervisor makes sure our safety culture is assimilated by all crews members. Our policies are reinforced through meetings he conducts, and he also follows up the necessary train-ing for the development of our teams with Noble’s Learning & Development Department. The STS is very important in building relationships among crew members, and helps the Rig Manager in several situa-tions from investigations to record keeping.

Medic — Medics work side by side with STSs and are very well trained to take care of most medical emergencies. Medics are trained and experienced to deliver first aid and treat minor injuries offshore, as well as to refer crew members for additional treat-ment onshore if needed.

Materials Coordinator — Materials Coordi-nators are responsible for checking, storing, organiz-ing and controlling all material that is used on board, and supplies rig personnel with the materials needed to complete their tasks.

Moving Up the Ladder: Training Advancement Opportunities

In a dynamic industry such as offshore drilling, change is a virtual certainty. Nowhere is that more evident than in the actual skill sets needed to operate a modern rig. Systems once considered novel and experimental, such as “cyber chair” drilling, are now commonplace.

One of primary goals of Noble’s Learning & Devel-opment team is to provide all employees with the resources necessary to continuously develop their skills and be positioned for advancement. Employees are able to attend a variety of in-house and third- party educational classes, seminars and conferences, which are paid for by the Company. Some positions may require employees to attend such classes to ensure that their skills develop and grow as the industry changes and grows. While only select posi-tions require this continuing education, all employ-ees are encouraged to utilize the numerous training opportunities that are available.

“There are numerous pathways for advancement within Noble,” says Bob Newhouse, Director - Learn-ing & Development. “We encourage all employees to explore these opportunities, and managers to guide them in their career paths.”

John McMichael, who joined the Company in 1975, is an excellent example of an individual that has taken full advantage of advancement opportunities. John is a Rig Manager on the Noble Jimmy Puckett; having worked his way up from Floorman and Driller prior to being selected for his current role.

“Noble provides excellent training and educational opportunities to prepare our employees for long-term growth with Noble,” says Bob. “In fact, during 2008, Noble invested over 20,000 training days in its employees, focused on safety, operational and man-agement knowledge and skills. It’s our goal to see help Noble team members build a career and not just a job.”

Glauco Venancio

Learning & Development Specialist

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Photo Contest

Noble employees are driven to work safely—and there are as many reasons to stay injury free as there are members of our teams. Here’s your chance to tell the

world why you stay safe by allowing others to see the world through your eyes (and lens).

Who Is Eligible? All current full-time employees of Noble.

How to Submit & Number of Entries Each employee may submit up to five photos. High-

resolution photos should be sent via e-mail to [email protected].

What Photos Can Be Entered? We are looking for images of all kinds that reflect

the basic theme of “Why I stay safe.” Photos can be of family, friends, pets, personal interests, etc. — liter-ally anything that motivates you as an individual to return home injury free. We are open to all imagery as long as it is in good taste and reflective of the profes-sional mission and values of Noble.

Digital Alterations All photographs should accurately reflect the

subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered will be disqualified. Acceptable are adjustments to color, contrast, bright-ness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black-and-white conversions. Not accept-able are photo composites; the addition, duplication, deletion or moving of objects in the photos; or the use of artistic digital filters and effects.

Prizes There will be 7 Grand Prize winners. Each winner

will receive a digital photo frame and have their winning photo used in an upcoming edition of the Noble LINK along with a description of the photo and a brief overview of the photographer.

Deadline The final date for submitting photos is February

28, 2010. To avoid uploading delays, please do not wait until the final days of the contest to enter. Noble anticipates notifying winners in March 2010.

Judging Photographs will be judged on originality, compo-

sition, overall impact and artistic merit. All decisions by the judges will be final and binding.

“ Why I Stay Safe”

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on the Clock

Eyewitness to History

In the half-decade since earning his degree in 2004 from the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Bruno Morand has enjoyed a front-row-seat view of the transformation of his

homeland into an energy powerhouse. Better yet, having joined Noble a year later as an Operations Engineer, he has helped write what is certain to be one of the most important chapters in the country’s economic history.

“Even with all the recent news related to the major new discoveries in offshore Brazil,” says Bruno, “I believe it may be easy to miss just how dramatically the industry has grown and, more importantly, how it continues to grow. People may forget that in the early 1960s our country was producing a modest 100,000 barrels a day.

“That began to change with a discovery by Petro-bras that became Guaricema field off Sergipe. Campos, off the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, came next and soon became the largest oil producer in the country. This led to Garoupa, in 1974, followed by the giant fields of Marlin, Albacora, Barracuda and Roncador. But this proved to be just the beginning,” adds Bruno.

“Petrobras, our largest customer here, is clearly at the forefront of developing deep and ultra-deepwater exploration technology,” he adds. “As a result, Brazil is one of the few countries that dominate the full subsea cycle in fields situated over 2,000 meters in depth. It’s hard to imagine being anywhere else; this is truly where the action is relative to the deepwater.”

While this may sound like a bit of good-natured boasting, in fact, Bruno’s assessment is well founded. Brazil’s proved oil reserves totaled 12.6 billion barrels

last year, according to London-based BP Plc, which ranks countries by production. Added to this already impressive number, Petrobras Chief Executive Officer Jose Sergio Gabrielli said recently that the company’s proved oil reserves may double in the next two years as the Tupi, Iara and Whales Park fields, whose licenses have already been granted, may hold as much as 14 billion barrels of crude.

“A couple of years ago I heard people saying that by 2015 we were going to be running out of oil. Many believed that was going to be the end of work in the oil fields of Brazil,” remembers Bruno, “but that wasn’t the case. With the development of new technologies and a willingness to invest in exploration, operators continue to find new reservoirs. So the oil industry is definitely expanding here in Brazil. I see a bright future ahead — there is no doubt about it.

“I graduated with a degree in engineering,” says Bruno, “and had held several different jobs while working on my degree, so Noble wasn’t my first job, but it was definitely my first exposure to the oil indus-try. I worked for IBM, for a couple of years and also for an international company that makes consumer products. These jobs weren’t really what I wanted to do long term. As an engineer, I have always looked forward to working in industry, and here in Brazil the opportunities to do this are definitely in the oil industry.

“The industry here is very diverse, and there are opportunities across the board, ranging from explo-ration, transportation, refining, marketing and power generation. There is even a vibrant bio-fuel segment not found in many countries.

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“I was attracted to Noble because I wanted a chance to be involved with drilling, and in Brazil that means learning about drillships and floaters. Working on a drillship is a huge challenge. What I mean by that is managing a drillship, you pretty much have to manage everything related to the drilling business. On top of that you still need to manage a merchant ship and all the issues that are common to any ocean-going vessel.”

In joining Noble, Bruno was selected to participate in the Noble Operations Management Development Program (OMDP). This program is a structured, companywide program designed to identify, train and develop personnel for operations management positions. The overall objective of the OMDP is to

attract, develop and position individuals for posi-tions in offshore drilling operations, engineering and maintenance. To achieve this goal, individual par-ticipants rotate through a variety of positions within the Company, taking on increased responsibility as appropriate.

“In my role as an Assistant Drilling Superinten-dent, my focus is to help ensure our drilling rig opera-tions are conducted in accordance with Noble’s poli-cies and procedures,” says Bruno. “At the same time, I need to be very familiar with our drilling contracts to help ensure the well programs are executed in accor-dance with the operator’s instructions. Above all, I need to be a team player, as we all are, in the effort to keep our operations safe, efficient and environmen-tally responsible. In this context, we always strive to deliver the best-in-class performance.

“A lot of this comes down to communications,” says Bruno. “Whether we are developing an inspection and maintenance plan, fostering our safety culture or assisting in annual budget preparations, it all comes back to communications. The same is true regarding our customers. I have to communicate regularly with the operator’s onsite representative, assuring both parties’ priorities and plans are clearly communi-cated and understood.

“Once you consider four of our five currently operating rigs are dynamic positioned, some with blowout preventers rated at 15,000 psi working in up to 7,000 feet of water, you realize how truly amazing these rigs are and how even more amazing are the crews that make them run. In the Santos Basin, for example, offshore of Rio State, we routinely operate in water depths of two kilometers and drill another

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five kilometers below the seabed. In areas such as Tupi, the reservoir lies beneath a thick layer of salt, a geological barrier that baffled the operators until they learned how to decipher the seismic images through salt.

“Now it’s up to us help the operators make the most of this opportunity. One way we are doing this is by improving the way we communicate, both offshore and in the shore-based office in Macaé.

“I think this is one of the areas where Gene (Gene House, Vice President and Division Manager) is helping set Noble apart from our peers. Gene sees value in giving Brazilians like me a chance to interact with Petrobras directly. By combining the talents of our very strong ex-pat team with those of us hired locally, we bring to the table something really unique. Petrobras is a very special client. Noble works with

them best when we respect and honor the Brazilian culture that is indeed a part of the Petrobras organi-zation operating model.

“I think it is especially interesting to have the chance to bring a little bit of the Brazilian culture to the Company and at the same time bring a little bit of the international culture of Noble to Petrobras. In essence, being in this position at this point in time is an honor. I really feel passion for the business. This is what energizes me.

“This is what I am saying: when you work in such a challenging and fast-paced environment, you have only one option. Either you have passion for the business and you keep doing what you do, or you just choose something else to do. As for me, I can’t see myself in any other business.”

“My wife always makes fun of me because I change my hobbies every now and then. I nor-mally don’t stick to a hobby for very long, but there are a couple of things that I have always liked doing,” says Bruno. “One of these things is scuba diving. Brazil is a good place for scuba diving with our warm climate. I wish I could go more often, but I do make time for a diving weekend here and

there.

“She dives with me, as well, so we just get together and choose a place to go. We dive and also make time to relax a little bit. There are plenty of places to do both,

and I believe you need to take time to recharge your batteries. It makes

coming back to work the following week all the more interesting.”

Underwater Adventure Makes Bruno’s Off Hours FunOff th

e Clock:

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New U.S. Office EmployeesApril 2009 - September 2009

Accounting / Finance / TaxDanny Bazan Assistant Controller – MexicoScott Davis Senior External Reporting AnalystWayne Robicheaux Accounts Payable Supervisor

Administration / Human ResourcesJennifer Buckholt Payroll AnalystAmy Cate Benefits SupervisorAudrey Gage Personnel AssistantFrancisco Solis Passport & Visa SpecialistLisa Wise Receptionist

EngineeringKevin McDoneld Senior Mechanical Engineer

Information TechnologyDarrell Dorsey Systems Analyst – Maintenance

LegalJames Sanislow VP & Chief Compliance Officer

Supply ChainDaniel Alford Senior Inventory Data SpecialistEric Bartz Inventory Control ManagerJason Harris Traffic Supervisor Iain Hendry Manager – Catalog & Purchasing Controller Kevin Rush Manager – System Support

RecognitionNoble

BrazilLarry Batiste Assistant Rig ManagerNico Van Rijswijk Rig Manager

EuropeErik Frank Boon Rig ManagerRutger Goeting Assistant Rig ManagerPim Peters Assistant Rig ManagerRob Van Laan Assistant Rig ManagerAbraham Van Zelm Rig ManagerMichel Wolff Assistant Rig Manager

MexicoRichard Isgitt Rig Manager

Middle EastMicheal Brooks Rig ManagerClinton Lacombe Rig Manager

U.S. Gulf of MexicoRobert Causey Rig ManagerSteven Hardee Rig Manager

U.S. OfficeDana Maxson Learning & Development SpecialistElizabeth Mumford Recruitment AssistantAnthony Roseburr Manager – Risk and InsuranceDeric Simmons Manager – Learning & DevelopmentHillary Verner Benefits AssistantAlicia Warnemunde Benefits AnalystChristie Watt Manager – Admin & ContractsAnthony Woods Material Master Catalog Analyst

Promotions and AdvancementApril 2009 - September 2009

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EffortsNoble

Around the globe, employees are putting forth additional efforts to help those who are less fortunate. If you know of additional efforts being made by someone at Noble, please contact John Breed using the contact information on the inside cover of this magazine.

Noble Mexico Division Giving Back to the Community

As a valued corporate citizen, Noble’s Mexico Division supports several local charitable organi-zations. That attitude of caring is also shared by the rig crews onboard Noble’s rigs, many of which personally help the orga-nizations Noble supports. This coordination of effort began as Christmas approached in 2008. At that time, many of the rig person-nel started inquiring about how they could help the needy.

It was decided to focus on making the season better for many of the area’s children and the logical fit with charities supported by Noble in Mexico, including Casa Hogar Para Niños A.C. San Pedro Pescador. This nonprofit organization offers a free service to minors living in difficult circumstances, such as those who have been abandoned, abused and orphaned. Currently they have 52 minors living at the facility ranging from 1 to 18 years of age.

In total, the rig crews donated approximately $3,000 dollars which went toward the purchase of a variety of items such as clothes, food, a Christmas party and, of course, presents. As one rig employee recalled, “A lot of us are privileged in the lives that we live and having family to share those special moments but remember that there are others that are not so fortunate. It really puts things in perspective when you get to see the joy and feel the appreciation of simple gestures of kindness, especially that of a child.”

Making a Wish Come TrueSafety is more than a concept – it’s the culture

aboard the Hibernia platform, a unit in offshore Canada that is crewed by Noble. Such performance is appreciated, and none more so than by our custom-ers. For three consecutive months in 2009, Noble employees earned Exxon Mobil’s President’s Award. The $1000 awards, in the form of a donation made by Exxon to a charity of the crew’s choice, were awarded to Hubert Cantwell – April; Wayne Manning – May; and in June - to a collective group of five (Wayne Hickey, Steve Clements, Paul Knox, Bill Matheson and Greg Whyte). All of the recipients chose to donate their awards to the Children’s Wish Foundation.

The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada grants wishes to children diagnosed with high-risk, life-threatening illnesses who live in communities across the country. Since the organization’s founding 25 years ago, over 15,000 wishes have been fulfilled. During 2008 and 2009, Children’s Wish granted 948 wishes to Canadian children, funded through dona-tions such as the one made on Noble’s behalf.

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An Ounce of Prevention … What you can do to stop the flu

Influenza, or “the flu,” is a contagious acute viral disease of the respiratory tract which can cause mild to severe illness and at times may lead to death. It is characterized by fever (usually high),

headache, muscle aches, weakness, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat and cough.

Some people are at high risk for serious flu compli-cations, such as the elderly, young children and those with certain health conditions, including pregnancy. Some of the complications caused by flu include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. Children may get sinus or ear infections.

The flu spreads in respiratory droplets produced by coughing and sneezing. Airborne person-to-per-son spread is most common; however, you can become infected by touching something with virus particles on it and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. The influenza virus is a very hardy virus and may persist in the environment for days — particularly in the cold and in low humidity.

The incubation period for the flu is short, usually 1-3 days. It is important to note that you may be able to infect others beginning a full day before getting symptoms, and up to seven days after getting sick. This means that you can give someone the flu before you know you’re sick as well as while you’re sick.

A few simple steps will help you and others stay healthy and help control the flu:

✔ Avoid crowds and/or close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, stay home and keep your distance from others.

✔ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

✔ Wash your hands! It may help protect you from getting sick or from infecting others. If hand washing facilities are not readily available, the use of an alcohol-type gel or spray may be employed until hands can be washed with soap and water.

✔ Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are easily spread when a person touches some-thing that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.

✔ Use a spray disinfectant on commonly touched surfaces such as telephone handsets, bathroom faucets and toilet handles, and kitchen appliance handles and doors.

✔ Keep up a healthy lifestyle with a good diet, exer-cise and a full night of rest every day.

Work Safe ...Live Safe

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Today, however, Noble sources parts, supplies and services from vendors around the world, employing detailed specs and increasingly integrated inven-tory software tools. Supported by a catalog of over 300,000 items, Noble procures 230,000 line items annually utilizing over a thousand vendors from over 40 countries. Additionally, procuring material from all corners of the globe presents logistical challenges.

No longer can Noble simply call a supply store and have a salesman jump in his pickup truck and deliver a part to a rig just down the road, as was the case in onshore drilling. Modern-day logistics for Noble is a complex web involving not only Noble employees, but third-party packers along with numerous freight forwarders, customs agents and various modes of transportation. Coordinating this process well adds to Noble’s well-deserved reputation for efficiency and minimizes downtime for our customers.

a time when purchasing needs and processes were a lot less sophisticated.

Spotting the drill bit salesman in 1939 was pretty easy,

Page 31: Cert no. SW-COC-1530 · 2 YEARS Noble Gus Androes Noble Danny Adkins Noble Roger Lewis Noble Dave Beard Noble Jim Day ... Noble Piet van Ede Noble Chuck Syring Trimming the sails

Noble worldwide

Semisubmersibles Drillships Jackups Submersibles Platforms

Noble delivers pacesetting performance across the spectrum of offshore drilling operations for customers worldwide with its fleet of 62 drilling rigs, which include 42 jackups, 13 semi-submersibles, four drillships and three shallow-water submersibles.

14 YEARS Noble Johnnie Hoffman

13 YEARS

Noble Ed HoltNoble Max Smith

12 YEARS

Noble Lewis DuggerNoble Sam NobleNoble Ed NobleNoble Gene Rosser

11 YEARS

Noble Lester PettusNoble John Sandifer

10 YEARS

Noble Percy JohnsNoble Tommy CraigheadNoble Carl Norberg

9 YEARS

Noble Bill Jennings Noble Ton van LangeveldNoble George McLeodNoble Roy Butler

8 YEARS

Hibernia M-71Noble Lynda Bossler Noble Amos RunnerNoble Homer Ferrington Noble Julie RobertsonNoble George SauvageauNoble Joe AlfordNoble Ronald Hoope Noble Earl Frederickson Noble David Tinsley

7 YEARS

Noble Tom JobeNoble Lorris BouzigardNoble Dick Favor

6 YEARS

Noble Gene HouseNoble Cees van Diemen Noble Lloyd Noble

5 YEARS

Noble Mark BurnsNoble Paul Wolff

4 YEARS

Noble Charles CopelandNoble Jimmy Puckett Noble Al White Noble Clyde BoudreauxNoble Don WalkerNoble Jim ThompsonNoble Byron WelliverNoble Therald MartinNoble Charlie Yester

3 YEARS

Dhabi II Noble Fri Rodli

2 YEARS

Noble Gus AndroesNoble Danny Adkins Noble Roger Lewis Noble Dave BeardNoble Jim DayNoble Eddie Paul

1 YEAR

Noble Roy RhodesNoble Paul RomanoNoble MurvlenkoNoble Roger EasonNoble Leonard JonesHbernia M-72Noble Piet van EdeNoble Chuck Syring

Trimming the sails

At Noble, we believe staying safe

isn’t the result of luck or random chance. Instead, it stems from the deliberate and intentional actions and behaviors of every individual aboard. Safety also requires flexiblity and the willingness to change and adapt, qualities found in abundance across Noble’s fleet. Congratulations to the following rigs that have reached these milestones in years without a Lost-Time Incident as of September 30, 2009.

The Noble LINK is published by and for the employees of Noble Corporation and its subsidiaries

and for our clients and friends.

Editor: John BreedDesign: Scott McFarlane

Comments regarding the Noble LINKshould be directed to:

John Breed, Noble Corporation13135 South Dairy Ashford, Suite 800

Sugar Land, Texas 77478(281) 276-6100

[email protected]

“One ship drives east and other drives west by

the same winds that blow. It’s the set of the sails

and not the gales that determines the way they go.”

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Page 32: Cert no. SW-COC-1530 · 2 YEARS Noble Gus Androes Noble Danny Adkins Noble Roger Lewis Noble Dave Beard Noble Jim Day ... Noble Piet van Ede Noble Chuck Syring Trimming the sails

LINKCORPORATION MAGAZINE • FALL 2009

Cert no. SW-COC-1530

Noble Drilling Services Inc.13135 South Dairy Ashford Suite 800

Sugar Land, TX 77478

Focused on what matters

From Actual to PotentialLearning from risk potential

What’s in a Name?Meet the team that runs our rigswww.noblecorp.com