Noble Adds 2 Ships To Fleet

Noble Corporation Takes Delivery of New High-Spec Jackup.

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.