Each one in plain English, with the numbers worked through for a shareholder.
12 June 2026debt financing● NeutralMajor
On June 11, 2026 Noble Finance II issued $800M of 6.250% Senior Notes due June 15, 2034, guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by subsidiaries. This is $300M more than the $500M offering announced on June 1; the filing does not explain the increase or state the use of proceeds. Interest is paid each June 15 and December 15 starting December 15, 2026, and holders can require repurchase at 101% on a change of control.
On May 29, 2026 Noble Finance II signed a third amendment to its revolving credit agreement, raising commitments from $550.0M to $650.0M and extending maturity from April 18, 2028 to May 29, 2031. On June 1, 2026 Noble also announced it intended to offer $500M of unsecured senior notes due 2034, subject to market conditions. The filing gives no use of proceeds.
On September 4, 2024 Noble completed the Diamond Offshore acquisition through the two mergers, ending the pending-deal thread. Diamond holders received $5.65 in cash plus 0.2316 Noble shares per share; Noble paid about $591 million in cash and issued about 24.2 million shares, funding the cash portion partly from the $800M 8.000% notes issued August 22, 2024. Diamond became an indirect wholly owned subsidiary and was renamed Noble Offshore Drilling, Inc.; it assumed Diamond's $500M of 8.500% second-lien notes due 2030, and Diamond warrants stay exercisable for the merger consideration for 90 days. Noble also enlarged its board to nine and added Patrice Douglas as a director (the filing text is cut off after this).
On August 22, 2024, Noble Finance II closed an offering of an additional $800M of its 8.000% Senior Notes due 2030, on the same terms as the $600M issued in April 2023, which remain outstanding (total now $1.4B; this sum is arithmetic from the filing). A second supplemental indenture the same day permits a dividend from the Issuer to Noble plc to fund the cash consideration for the pending Diamond Offshore merger. The filing does not state the issue price or the proceeds.
Noble filed Amendment No. 1 to the Form S-4 on July 19, 2024, filling in details left blank earlier. Based on Noble's July 17 closing price the implied value is $16.70 per Diamond share (up from $15.52 at the June 7 price). Diamond holders are expected to own about 15% and existing Noble holders about 85% of fully diluted Noble shares after the first merger. The record date is July 19, 2024; the meeting date is still blank and the statement is still preliminary.
Noble filed its initial Form S-4 registration statement on July 8, 2024 for the Diamond Offshore merger, containing a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus for Diamond stockholders. The terms are unchanged ($5.65 cash plus 0.2316 Noble shares per Diamond share). Based on Noble's June 7, 2024 closing price, the deal was worth $15.52 per Diamond share. The meeting date, record date and ownership split were still blank, and the document was preliminary and not yet effective.
On June 24, 2024, Noble Finance II signed a first amendment to its April 2023 revolving credit agreement with JPMorgan as agent. It adds capacity to pay a distribution up to Noble plc to fund the cash portion of the Diamond Offshore purchase price (plus related costs, fees and expenses and taxes). This is financing preparation for the pending Diamond deal; the filing gives no dollar amount for the added capacity.
Noble signed an agreement on June 9, 2024 to acquire Diamond Offshore Drilling through two mergers, after which Diamond becomes an indirect wholly owned Noble subsidiary. Each Diamond share would convert into $5.65 in cash plus 0.2316 Noble shares (plus cash for fractional shares). Closing needs Diamond stockholder approval, antitrust approvals, an effective Form S-4 and NYSE listing of the new shares. Diamond would owe Noble a $60M termination fee in specified cases (for example, taking a superior proposal) and $16.5M if its stockholders vote the deal down. The end date is June 9, 2025, automatically extendable to Dec 9, 2025 and June 9, 2026 if only regulatory approvals are outstanding.
On April 18, 2023, Noble's subsidiary Noble Finance II issued $600 million of 8.000% senior notes due April 2030, guaranteed by Noble subsidiaries. Separately, the Feb 2021 secured revolving credit facility was amended and restated, with commitments cut from $675 million to $550 million. This adds long-term bond debt, and the revolver is secured on substantially all rigs. The text provided does not say what the note proceeds will be used for.
Noble filed extra financial information about the October 2022 Maersk Drilling deal: Maersk Drilling's unaudited results for the nine months to Sept 30, 2022 and pro forma combined results. Maersk Drilling's figures show revenue of $816 million (down from $946 million) and a loss of $186 million (versus a $60 million profit a year earlier), including a $117 million net impairment loss. The pro forma statement is described as being prepared as if the merger had happened on Jan 1, 2022, but its figures are not shown in the text provided. This adds detail on the acquired business and is not a new event.
On Dec 22, 2022 the $350 million DNB term loan was fully borrowed, and the old Maersk Drilling DNB facility (the $1.55 billion December 2018 term and revolving facility) was repaid and terminated, with its security to be released. The press release says about $460 million was outstanding on the old facility and was repaid using the new loan plus cash on hand. This completes the refinancing announced in November and replaces the facility Noble guaranteed after the merger, with the old Dec 2023 and Dec 2025 maturities.
Noble signed a new $350 million secured term loan (the 'New DNB Credit Facility') on Nov 22, 2022. The borrower is The Drilling Company of 1972 A/S (Maersk Drilling) and Noble guarantees it. It costs Term SOFR plus 3.5%, with the margin stepping up after years one and two, and matures three years after funding. It is secured on certain rigs acquired in the Maersk Drilling deal, and the proceeds are expected to refinance the $1.55 billion December 2018 Maersk Drilling facility that Noble had guaranteed since the merger.
5 Oct 2022asset acquisition disposition▲ GoodMajor
On October 5, 2022 Noble completed the sale of five jackup rigs (Noble Hans Deul, Houston Colbert, Lloyd Noble, Sam Hartley and Sam Turner) with related staff and support to Shelf Drilling for $375 million in cash. The sale was agreed June 23, 2022 and was described as an element of the Maersk Drilling combination. Noble will keep operating the Noble Lloyd Noble under a charter from Shelf Drilling until its Equinor contract ends, expected in the second quarter of 2023. The CEO said the proceeds add to the balance sheet and capital flexibility.
3 Oct 2022asset acquisition disposition▲ GoodMajor
On October 3, 2022 Noble completed the exchange offer for Maersk Drilling, so Noble Corporation plc is now the ultimate parent of both Noble and Maersk Drilling. Maersk Drilling shares not tendered are to be compulsorily bought out for shares or cash. Noble also agreed with APMH Invest A/S that it can nominate two directors while owning at least 20% of the shares, or one while owning 15% to under 20%, and signed a registration rights agreement with it. The new parent guarantees two Maersk Drilling bank loans: the DNB facility (about $460 million of term loans outstanding, plus $400 million of undrawn revolver, at September 30, 2022) and the DSF facility (about $266 million of term loans). The DNB term loans and revolver mature December 2023 and the DNB facility B loans December 2025, and the DSF facility matures December 2025. The shares also trade on Nasdaq Copenhagen as NOBLE. This closes the pending deal thread. The filing again states the 1.6137 exchange ratio.
On September 30, 2022 the Cayman-based Noble merged into a subsidiary of the new UK parent, Noble Corporation plc. Each Noble share became one share of the new company, and the three warrant tranches became warrants on the new company's shares (14,539,883 warrants outstanding after the combination). The shares kept the NE ticker on the NYSE. Noble holders approved the deal on May 10, 2022 with about 99% of votes cast in favour. The Maersk Drilling offer expired September 8 with 37,266,530 shares tendered (about 90.03%), and the offer was due to close October 3, followed by a compulsory purchase of the rest. This resolves the open question of the S-4 and shareholder vote. The filing states 1.6137 Topco shares per Maersk Drilling share, not the 1.637 seen in the March 2022 amendments, and the text does not explain the difference. Cash elections are capped at $1,000 per holder and $50 million in total.
Noble filed Amendment No. 4 on April 5, 2022 to the Maersk Drilling combination registration statement as an exhibits-only filing. It contains only the cover page, an explanatory note, Part II (director indemnification rules, exhibit list, undertakings), the signature page and exhibits, so it carries no new deal terms. The rest of the registration statement is unchanged.
Noble filed Amendment No. 3 on March 31, 2022 to the Maersk Drilling combination registration statement, keeping the 1.637 Topco shares per Maersk Drilling share (or cash) terms. It now includes the English translation of the Danish offer document plus an EU-rules exemption document, and says Topco is relying on the US Tier I tender offer exemption while still registering the shares on this form. The meeting date is still blank, so the deal is still not approved or closed.
Noble filed Amendment No. 2 on March 9, 2022 to the Maersk Drilling combination registration statement. The exchange ratio is now stated as 1.637 Topco shares per Maersk Drilling share (or cash), versus 1.6137 in the first two filings; the text does not say why it changed (the difference could also be a typo). The filing also describes an English translation of the draft Danish offer document, and the meeting date is still blank.
Noble filed Amendment No. 1 to the registration statement for the Maersk Drilling combination, now dated February 7, 2022. The visible text repeats the earlier terms (1.6137 Topco shares per Maersk Drilling share or cash, one-for-one conversion of Noble shares, meeting date still blank) and says the draft Danish offer document is still to be filed by later amendment. The visible text shows no new deal terms.
Noble filed, through a new UK holding company (Noble Finco Limited, called Topco), a registration statement for its planned combination with Denmark's Maersk Drilling under a November 10, 2021 agreement. Noble shares would convert one-for-one into Topco shares, and Maersk Drilling shareholders would be offered 1.6137 Topco shares per share or cash. Up to 136,418,442 Topco shares are registered, including up to 66,630,827 for Maersk Drilling holders. Noble's three warrant tranches would be swapped for Topco warrants, and penny warrants for Topco shares. Noble shareholders still need to vote at a meeting whose date is not yet set.