BP Books Noble Rig for Carbon Storage Gig in North Sea

Noble Corporation, a U.S.-based offshore drilling company, has secured a new multi-well contract with BP, a UK-based energy company, for the Northern Endurance Partnership Project (NEP) in the North Sea. The agreement involves the Noble Innovator jack-up rig drilling six firm wells, with an option for two additional wells, starting in the third quarter of 2026. This follows the rig’s existing contract with BP, initially awarded in December 2022 for one year at a day rate of $135,000, with a one-year option at a higher rate.

Noble Innovator jack-up rig

In 2023, BP expanded the contract by adding a one-well option and amending it to include up to six additional wells at pre-agreed rates. In December 2024, BP extended the contract by two wells, with an estimated 200-day duration at a $155,000 day rate, keeping the rig operational until November 2026. Blake Denton, Noble’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Contracts, stated: “Supporting the Northern Endurance Partnership advances our role in delivering the well infrastructure behind the UK’s net-zero ambitions. This award reinforces our leadership in offshore carbon storage, and we value the continued trust that BP places in our crews.”

The Noble Innovator, a Gusto MSC CJ 70–150 MC design rig built in 2003 at Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, accommodates 120 people and is designed for ultra-harsh environments. The NEP, a collaboration between BP, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, received a carbon storage permit from the North Sea Transition Authority in December 2024. Located 75 kilometers east of Flamborough Head, off Teesside on England’s east coast, the project aims to inject 4 million tons of carbon annually for 25 years, potentially reaching 100 million tons. Construction is set to begin in mid-2025, with initial injections planned for 2027 and full operations by 2028.

A geophysical offshore survey for the project is scheduled for March 2025. The initiative supports the UK’s efforts to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, with Noble recently earning a CCS rig technology certificate from DNV. The project enhances regional energy sustainability without impacting consumption or trade dynamics, focusing solely on carbon storage infrastructure.