Exciting New Drilling Assignment for Noble Corporation Offshore Suriname
U.S. offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has secured a new drilling assignment off the coast of Suriname in partnership with Petronas Suriname E&P, a subsidiary of Malaysia’s energy giant Petronas. The assignment will be carried out by Noble’s high-specification semi-submersible rig, the Noble Developer, which is currently stationed in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Noble Developer rig, built in 2009, will be tasked with drilling three wells offshore Suriname as part of the agreement with Petronas. The firm contract value for the project is approximately $84 million, including additional services and mobilization and demobilization fees. The drilling assignment, expected to last around 200 days, is set to commence in June 2025.
Blake Denton, Noble’s SVP of Marketing & Contracts, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership with Petronas, stating, “We are excited to extend our partnership with Petronas in Suriname through this agreement for the Noble Developer. The Developer has previously operated for Petronas in Suriname, and we look forward to getting the rig back to work in mid-2025.”
The agreement also includes an option for an additional well to be drilled, providing further opportunities for collaboration between Petronas and Noble. Preparations for the upcoming work scope are already underway, with the Noble Developer rig ready and available off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Noble Developer is a DSS-21 column-stabilized, dynamically positioned semi-submersible rig with a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 feet. Capable of operating in water depths of up to 10,000 feet, the rig is well-equipped for challenging offshore drilling operations.
Despite anticipating a softer utilization environment in 2025 due to market conditions, Noble Corporation remains optimistic about the future. The company has secured multiple assignments for its rig fleet, with the most recent drilling job being in the Gulf of Mexico. Looking ahead, Noble expects improved conditions in late 2025 and 2026 for the offshore drilling industry.