Noble lands $1.3-billion backlog, breaks into Norway floater market

Norway

STAVANGER, January 27, 2026 – US drilling contractor Noble Corporation has secured a series of offshore drilling awards totalling USD 1.3 billion in backlog, including its first contract in Norway’s harsh environment floater segment, the company said on Friday.

The largest award is a three-year deal with Aker BP for the Noble GreatWhite semisubmersible in Norway from Q2 2027, valued at USD 473 million. This is Noble’s first campaign in Norway’s floater market and includes USD 160 million in reactivation and preparation costs.

Further awards include a two-year contract in Nigeria with ExxonMobil affiliate Esso worth USD 292 million, two rig-years of backlog in Guyana for four drillships under an ExxonMobil agreement, and multiple contracts in the US Gulf, South America and Trinidad with BP, Beacon Offshore Energy and others. An estimated USD 50 million in contract preparation expenditure is expected in 2026 across these projects.

“We look forward to expanding our scale in Norway while continuing to focus on reliable service quality and execution for all of our customers,” Noble CEO Robert W. Eifler said.

Noble Corporation is a major offshore drilling contractor based in the US, operating a global fleet focused on ultra-deepwater and high-specification jackups. The company has been active in contract drilling since 1921 and serves key upstream markets in the Americas, North Sea, West Africa and Asia-Pacific.

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