Company: NE-WTA
Filing Date: 2025-10-28
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0001895262-25-000016
Chunk: 83

Company: Noble Corp plc
Filing Date: 2025-10-28
Form: 10-Q
Item: Item 8
Chunk 83
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 floaters and jackups over the next several quarters is anticipated to be lower than the utilization rates realized during the prior two years. Furthermore, economic uncertainty compounded with OPEC’s stated intent to increase oil production, collectively present a potential for additional demand risk for offshore rigs in the near term.

As of the date of this report, the majority of our jackup fleet is positioned in the North Sea. While we have seen generally stable demand in the UK and southern North Sea in recent years, overall activity levels in the region remain subdued compared to historical levels. Similarly, the ultra-harsh environment jackup market in Norway also remains below historical levels despite the market being attractive to operators given it is characterized by low-cost and low-emission barrels.

Recent contract awards and open tenders show an increasing proportion of multi-year contracts, although a significant number of shorter term commitments continue to be fixed, as well. Longer term contracts can generally provide economic efficiencies by reducing the number of rig contract start-ups, both with different customers and among different regions, which is expected to reduce incremental resources and costs. On the other hand, certain multi-year contracts that are scheduled to commence a year or longer into the future can present near term utilization inefficiency due to challenges with filling interim availability on the assets.

23

The energy transition from hydrocarbons to renewables poses a challenge to the oil and gas sector and our market. Energy rebalancing trends have accelerated in recent years as evidenced by promulgated or proposed government policies and commitments by many of our customers to further invest in sustainable energy sources. Our industry could be further challenged as resource holders and policy makers continue to evaluate and calibrate strategies and capital flows to address global energy needs. Ultimately, however, there continues to be a global dependence on products made from hydrocarbons and on the combustion of hydrocarbons to provide reliable and affordable energy. Low-cost and low-emission barrels are expected to be the most attractive conventional source to meet energy needs both currently and in the future. Global energy demand is predicted to increase over the coming decades, and we expect that offshore oil and gas will continue to play an important and lasting role in meeting this demand.

Our cost profile remains sensitive to global labor market conditions, capital intensive repair and maintenance scopes on our rigs, global trade and sanctions regimes, including the impacts of new or increased tariffs or trade wars, and geopolitical crises and their respective regional and global ramifications. Each of these factors has the potential to adversely impact our ability to conduct our day-to-day operations and manage costs, with