Shell, Noble introduce Noble Bully 1 ultra-deepwater drillship to GoM

Offshore staff

HOUSTON – Shell and Noble Corp. have brought the Noble Bully 1 drillship into the Gulf of Mexico from Singapore to complete commissioning and acceptance testing. The first of two, the rig was designed jointly by Shell and Noble and can be equipped to drill in 10,000 ft (3,048 m) of water. The first operations are scheduled for Shell’s Mars B “Olympus” development. The Noble Bully II is expected to begin operations early next year in Brazil. The Bully rig design features a compact box-type drilling tower, known as a Multi-purpose Tower, instead of a conventional derrick. The Tower is designed to maximize productivity and safety, yet allow for a smaller vessel compared to other deepwater drill ships of similar capacity. The ship also uses less fuel and is shorter and lighter than comparable drill ships. The Noble Bully I and Noble Bully II, are dynamically positioned drill ships that feature ice-class hulls.