<PAGE>
                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.6



TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS, IN WHOLE BUT
NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR TO A SUCCESSOR
THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR'S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL
SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS
SET FORTH HEREIN AND IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.

UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF
TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME
OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (AND ANY PAYMENT HEREON IS MADE
TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER
USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE
REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.


REGISTERED                                                     PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
No:                                                            $200,000,000

CUSIP:
                               NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
                              5.25% NOTES DUE 2014


         NOBLE ENERGY, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the
laws of Delaware (herein called the "Company", which term includes any successor
Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby
promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal sum of TWO
HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS on April 15, 2014 ("Stated Maturity"), and to pay
interest thereon from April 19, 2004, or from the most recent Interest Payment
Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semiannually on April
15 and October 15, in each year (each, an "Interest Payment Date"), commencing
October 15, 2004, at the rate of 5.25% per annum, until the principal hereof is
paid or made available for payment. Interest on the Securities shall be computed
on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. The interest
so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment
Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name
this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close
of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the
April 1 or October 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next
preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid
or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such
Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this
Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of
business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to
be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities
not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time
in any other lawful manner not inconsistent

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with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be
listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more
fully provided in the Indenture.

         Payment of the principal of and interest on this Security will be made
at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in the
Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the
United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment
of public and private debts. The Company, however, may pay principal and
interest by check payable in such money. At the option of the Company, payment
of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled
thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register; provided, that,
notwithstanding anything else contained herein, if this Security is a Global
Security and is held in book-entry form through the facilities of the
Depositary, payments on this Security will be made to the Depositary or its
nominee in accordance with the arrangements then in effect between the Trustee
and the Depositary.

         Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set
forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes
have the same effect as if set forth herein.

         This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned
Indenture.

                                       2
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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, NOBLE ENERGY, INC. has caused this instrument to be
duly executed.

                                         NOBLE ENERGY, INC.



                                         By
                                             -----------------------------------
                                         Name:
                                         Title:

Attest:

By
    -----------------------------------
    Name:
    Title:

Date:


                          CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

         This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned
Indenture.

                                         THE BANK OF NEW YORK TRUST
                                         COMPANY, N.A., as Trustee



                                         By:
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Authorized Signatory


                                       3
<PAGE>
                               NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
                               5.25% Note due 2014

         This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the
Company designated as its "5.25% Notes due 2014" (herein called the
"Securities"), initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $200,000,000,
issued under an Indenture, dated as of April 1, 1997, as supplemented by the
Third Indenture Supplement, dated April 19, 2004 (together called the
"Indenture"), between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.,
as Trustee (herein called the "Trustee", which term includes any successor
trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental
thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights,
limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the
Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the
Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.

         The Securities are redeemable prior to maturity at the option of the
Company, in whole or in part, at any time, at a redemption price equal to the
greater of (i) 100 percent of the principal amount of the Securities to be
redeemed and (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled
payments of principal of the Securities to be redeemed and interest thereon
(exclusive of interest accrued to the Redemption Date), discounted to the
Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of
twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points, plus, in each
case, accrued interest thereon to the date of redemption. In the event that the
Company elects to exercise its right to redeem Securities, the Company shall
mail a notice of such redemption to each Holder of record of the Securities by
first-class mail at least 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed
for redemption. Unless the Company defaults in payment of the redemption price,
on and after the redemption date interest will cease to accrue on the Securities
or portions thereof called for redemption.

         "Treasury Rate" means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate
per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the
Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable
Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.

         "Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security
or securities selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having an actual
or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities to
be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance
with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt
securities of a comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Securities.

         "Independent Investment Banker" means one of the Reference Treasury
Dealers appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the Company.

         "Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
(i) the average of three Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest of five Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations obtained, or (ii) if the Trustee obtains fewer than
five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all Reference Treasury
Dealer Quotations obtained.

                                       4
<PAGE>
         "Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations" means, with respect to each
Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by
the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in
writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 3:30 p.m. New York
time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.

         "Reference Treasury Dealer" means each of Citigroup Global Markets
Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. or their
affiliates that are primary U.S. Government securities dealers and their
respective successors, and two other primary U.S. Government securities dealers
in The City of New York appointed by the Trustee after consultation with the
Company. If Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. or J.P.
Morgan Securities Inc. ceases to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer
in The City of New York, the Company shall substitute therefor another primary
U.S. Government securities dealer in The City of New York.

         No Sinking Fund will be established with respect to the Securities, and
the Securities shall not be subject to any Sinking Fund payments.

         If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities shall occur and
be continuing, the principal of the Securities may be declared due and payable
in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

         Articles Ten and Thirteen of the Indenture shall be applicable in their
entirety to the Securities.

         The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of (A) the
entire indebtedness of the Securities or (B) certain restrictive covenants and
Events of Default with respect to the Securities, in each case upon compliance
with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.

         The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the
amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities under the Indenture at
any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time
Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of
specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the
time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive
compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain
past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or
waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such
Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued
upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu
hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this
Security.

         The Indenture provides that no Holder of any Security may enforce any
remedy under the Indenture except in the case of failure of the Trustee to act
after notice of default and after request by the Holders of not less than 25
percent in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities and the offer and, if
requested, provision to the Trustee of reasonable indemnity

                                       5
<PAGE>
satisfactory to the Trustee; provided, however, that such provision shall not
prevent the Holder hereof from enforcing payment of the principal of or interest
on this Security after the same shall have become due.

         No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security
or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which
is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this
Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein
prescribed.

         As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein
set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security
Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the
office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New
York, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in
form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar and duly executed
by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon
one or more new Securities, of authorized denominations and for the same
aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or
transferees.

         The Securities are issuable only in registered form without coupons in
denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the
Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities are
exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of a different
authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

         No service charge shall be made to the Holder for any such registration
of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient
to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

         Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer,
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat
the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all
purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the
Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

         This Security and the rights of the Holder hereof shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without
regard to principles of conflicts of laws.

                                       6
<PAGE>
                                   ASSIGNMENT

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED ____________________________________ hereby sell(s),
assign(s) and transfer(s) unto


________________________________________________________________________________
                     (PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
                         IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE)

________________________________________________________________________________



________________________________________________________________________________
            (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS OF ASSIGNEE)


________________________________________________________________________________



________________________________________________________________________________

the within Security, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing


                                                                        attorney
to transfer the said Security on the books of the Company, with full power of
substitution in the premises.


Date: ______________________          ________________________________________
                                                    Signature(s)
                                      Note:  The signature(s) to this
                                      assignment must correspond with
                                      the name as it appears upon the
____________________________          face of the within Security
     Signature Guarantee              in every particular, without alteration,
                                      or enlargement or any change whatever.


Note:  Signature(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution
       meeting the requirements of the Trustee, which requirements will
       include membership or participation in STAMP or such other "signature
       guarantee program" as may be determined by the Trustee in addition to,
       or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities
       Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

                                       7