Jan. 29 (oilnow.gy) Drilling activity offshore Guyana has been extended through 2029 after ExxonMobil awarded Noble Corporation plc additional rig years under its Commercial Enabling Agreement.
The award applies evenly across four drillships operating in Guyana — Noble Sam Croft, Noble Don Taylor, Noble Tom Madden and Noble Bob Douglas — and is part of a broader package of new contracts totaling about US$1.3 billion announced by Noble on January 26, 2026.
The Guyana extension adds two rig years of backlog and comes amid what Noble describes as sustained multi-year demand for deepwater drilling globally. President and Chief Executive Officer Robert W. Eifler said the latest awards point to strong market conditions.
“These important backlog additions indicate a strong and broad-based demand for deepwater drilling on a multi-year basis,” Eifler said.
Beyond Guyana, Noble secured a three-year contract for the semisubmersible Noble GreatWhite with Aker BP offshore Norway. The contract, valued at about US$473 million, is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027 and marks the rig’s first campaign in the country. Noble expects to spend about US$160 million on reactivation and contract preparation for the program.
In West Africa, Noble Gerry de Souza was awarded a two-year drilling contract by Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria, with options for up to three additional years. Operations are targeted for mid-2026, subject to regulatory approvals, and are expected to add about US$292 million to Noble’s backlog. The rig will be upgraded for managed pressure drilling ahead of the campaign.
Additional awards include a workover contract for Noble BlackRhino in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, an 11-well program for Noble Endeavor in South America scheduled for late 2026, and a three-well contract for Noble Developer with bp offshore Trinidad beginning in the first quarter of 2027. A previously announced three-year contract with TotalEnergies offshore Suriname has been reassigned from Noble Developer to Noble Discoverer.
Eifler said the combined contracts are expected to lift fleet utilization and support stronger financial performance over time.
“We expect them to help drive significantly increased fleet EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) and free cash flow in future years.”
Noble expects about US$50 million in additional contract preparation capital expenditure in 2026, excluding spending related to the Noble GreatWhite program.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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