Noble Corporation (NE) Risk Analysis

A large percentage of the Ordinary Shares are held by a relatively small number of investors. As a result, these investors could have significant influence over all matters presented to our shareholders for approval, including election and removal of our directors, change in control transactions, and the outcome of all actions requiring a majority shareholder approval. The interests of these investors may not always coincide with the interests of the other holders of the Ordinary Shares, and the concentration of control in these investors may limit other shareholders' ability to influence corporate matters. The concentration of ownership and voting power of these investors may also delay, defer, or even prevent an acquisition by a third party or other change of control of our Company, and may make some transactions more difficult or impossible without their support, even if such events are in the best interests of our other shareholders. In addition, the concentration of voting power may adversely affect the trading price of the Ordinary Shares. A large percentage of the Ordinary Shares are held by a relatively small number of investors.

We evaluate the impairment of property and equipment, which include rigs and related capital spares, whenever events or changes in circumstances, including a decision to cold stack, retire, or sell rigs, indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. An impairment loss on our property and equipment may exist when the estimated undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition are less than its carrying amount. Any impairment loss recognized represents the excess of the asset's carrying value over the estimated fair value. As part of this analysis, we make assumptions and estimates regarding future market conditions. To the extent actual results do not meet our estimated assumptions, for a given rig or piece of equipment, we may take an impairment loss in the future. In addition, we may also take an impairment loss on capital spares and other capital equipment when we deem the value of those items has declined due to factors like obsolescence, deterioration or damage. Based upon our impairment analyses for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we did not record any impairment charges. There can be no assurance that we will not have to take additional impairment charges in the future if depressed market conditions return, or that we will be able to return cold stacked rigs to service in the time frame and at the reactivation costs or at the dayrates that we projected. It is reasonably possible that the estimate of undiscounted cash flows may change in the near term, resulting in the need to write down the affected assets to their corresponding estimated fair values.

The 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement contains various restrictive covenants that may limit our management's discretion in certain respects. In particular, the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement limits the ability of Noble Finance II LLC ("Noble Finance II") and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to, among other things and subject to certain limitations and exceptions, (i) incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness, (ii) pay dividends or distributions on capital stock or redeem or repurchase capital stock, (iii) make investments, (iv) repay, redeem, or amend certain indebtedness, (v) sell stock of its subsidiaries, (vi) transfer or sell assets, (vii) create, incur, or assume liens, (viii) enter into transactions with certain affiliates, (ix) merge or consolidate with or into any other person or undergo certain other fundamental changes, and (x) enter into certain burdensome agreements. In addition, the 2023 Revolving Credit Agreement obligates Noble Finance II LLC and its restricted subsidiaries to comply with certain financial maintenance covenants and, under certain conditions, to make mandatory prepayments and reduce the amount of credit available under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility, all as described in Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Amended and Restated Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement." Such mandatory prepayments and commitment reductions may affect cash available for use in the Company's business. Our failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could result in all obligations under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility to be declared due and payable immediately and all commitments thereunder to be terminated. The 8.000% Senior Notes due 2030 (the "2030 Notes") are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by the direct and indirect subsidiaries of Noble Finance II that are Credit Parties (as defined herein) under the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility. The ability of Noble Finance II to comply with the covenants and restrictions contained in the indenture for the 2030 Notes may be affected by events beyond its control. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants and restrictions may be impaired. A failure to comply with the covenants, ratios, or tests in the indenture, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Our existing and future indebtedness may have cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions. Upon the triggering of any such provision, the relevant creditor may: ?not be required to lend any additional amounts to Noble Finance II;?elect to declare all borrowings outstanding due to them, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, to be due and payable;?have the ability to require Noble Finance II to apply all of its available cash to repay such borrowings; and/or ?prevent Noble Finance II from making debt service payments under its other agreements, any of which could result in an event of default under the 2030 Notes. If any of our existing indebtedness were to be accelerated, there can be no assurance that we would have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to repay such indebtedness in full. Even if new financing were available, it may be on terms that are less attractive than the 2023 Revolving Credit Facility or the 2030 Notes or it may not be on terms that are acceptable to us. In addition, the Diamond 8.500% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due October 2030 (the "Diamond Second Lien Notes") are issued by Diamond Foreign Asset Company and Diamond Finance, LLC (collectively, the "Issuers") and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior secured basis by Noble Offshore Drilling, Inc. (formerly known as Dolphin Merger Sub 2, Inc. and as successor by merger with Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.) ("NODI"), and each of its existing restricted subsidiaries (other than the Issuers) and by certain of NODI's future restricted subsidiaries. The indenture governing the Diamond Second Lien Notes contains covenants that, among other things, restrict NODI's ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to: (i) incur additional debt and issue certain preferred stock; (ii) incur or create liens; (iii) make certain dividends, distributions, investments, and other restricted payments; (iv) sell or otherwise dispose of certain assets; (v) engage in certain transactions with affiliates; and (vi) merge, consolidate, amalgamate, or sell, transfer, lease, or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the assets of NODI and such subsidiaries. A failure to comply with the covenants, ratios, or tests in the indenture, if not cured or waived, could result in the outstanding principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, becoming immediately due and payable and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

As part of our business strategy, and as evidenced by the Pacific Drilling Merger (as defined herein). the Business Combination with Maersk Drilling and the acquisition of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc., we have pursued and completed, and may continue to pursue, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions of businesses or assets, or other strategic transactions that we believe will enable us to strengthen or broaden our business. We may be unable to implement this element of our strategy if we cannot identify suitable companies, businesses or assets, reach agreement on potential strategic transactions on acceptable terms, manage the impacts of such transactions on our business, or for other reasons. Moreover, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and other strategic transactions involve various risks, including, among other things, (i) difficulties relating to integrating or disposing of a business, including changes to our employee workforce and unanticipated changes in customer, vendor, and other third-party relationships, (ii) failure to integrate operations and internal controls, including those related to financial reporting, disclosure, and cyber security and data protection, (iii) diversion of management's attention from day-to-day operations, (iv) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of such transactions, such as cost savings and revenue enhancements, (v) potentially substantial transaction costs associated with such transactions, (vi) failure to identify significant issues at the target during the due diligence process, which could result in financial or legal exposure, and (vii) potential impairment resulting from the overpayment for an acquisition. Future mergers or acquisitions may require us to obtain additional equity or debt financing, which may not be available on attractive terms. Moreover, to the extent a transaction financed by non-equity consideration results in goodwill, it will reduce our tangible net worth, which might have an adverse effect on credit availability.

Our business is affected by public policy and laws and regulations relating to the energy industry in the geographic areas where we do or seek to operate or otherwise have a presence, including laws and regulations relating to the environment (including climate change and greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions and regulations that for economic, environmental, social, or other reasons curtail or encumber our ability to operate competitively or negatively impact exploration, development, and production of oil and gas. We may be required to make significant capital expenditures to comply with governmental laws and regulations. Governments in some countries are increasingly active in regulating and controlling the ownership of concessions, the exploration for oil and gas, and other aspects of the oil and gas industries. There is increasing worldwide attention concerning the issue of climate change and the effect of GHGs, sustainability, and long-term changes in the energy mix. This increased attention has led to and may result in additional environmental laws or regulations that may unfavorably impact our business, or that of our suppliers and our customers. In addition, increasing attention to the risks of climate change has resulted in an increased possibility of litigation or investigations brought by public and private entities against oil and gas companies in connection with their GHG emissions. However, it is not possible at this time to predict the timing and effect of climate related laws and regulations, the adoption of additional GHG legislation, regulations or other measures at the international, federal, state, or local levels. The modification of existing laws or regulations or the adoption of new laws or regulations that curtail or encumber our ability to operate competitively or negatively impact exploration, development, and production of oil and gas could materially and adversely affect our business by limiting drilling opportunities, increasing our cost of doing business, discouraging our customers from drilling for hydrocarbons, disrupting revenue through permitting or similar delays, or subjecting us to liability. In the United States, the issuance of federal leases or other similar initiatives have been the subject of efforts to reform federal leasing practices and may result in the development of additional restrictions on offshore drilling, limitations on the availability of offshore leases, or restrictions on the ability to obtain required permits, which could have a material adverse impact on our operations by reducing drilling opportunities and the demand for our services. There have been various legal developments in the UK in 2024, some of which are still evolving (including an increase in and extension of an energy profits levy and changes to environmental impact assessment standards), which have reduced oil and gas exploration and development activities in the North Sea. These developments could reduce the demand for our services. In addition, efforts have been made and continue to be made in the international community toward the adoption or enhancement of international treaties or protocols related to protecting the environment, reducing climate change, reducing the use of hydrocarbon-based fuel reductions, and encouraging the implementation of GHG emission pledges. Fuel conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements and increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil and gas could reduce demand for oil and gas. These measures may result in a reduced global reliance on and future demand for oil and gas, which could have a material impact on our business. Many countries have or appear to be progressing toward enacting varying requirements for GHG monitoring, reporting, and emissions control or reduction, such as the United States which, in November 2024, announced final rules to implement the "Waste Emissions Charge" required under 2022's Inflation Reduction Act. The Waste Emissions Charge imposes a fee on GHG and waste emissions from certain oil and gas facilities that exceed specified intensity levels and is part of the United States' Methane Emissions Reduction Plan. While we are subject to certain federal GHG monitoring and reporting requirements, our operations have not been materially impacted by existing international, federal, state, and local climate change initiatives. However, new legislation and regulatory programs to reduce GHG emissions, or increased reporting obligations, could increase our cost of doing business, discourage our customers from drilling for hydrocarbons, or otherwise have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Our operations are subject to various laws and regulations in countries in which we operate, including laws and regulations relating to: ?the environment and the health and safety of personnel;?the importing, exporting, equipping, and operation of drilling rigs;?finance and currency exchange controls;?oil and gas exploration and development;?taxation of local and offshore earnings and earnings of expatriate personnel; and ?use and compensation of local employees, contractors, and suppliers, and involvement of foreign contractors. Public and governmental scrutiny of the energy industry has resulted in increased regulations being proposed and often implemented. In addition, existing regulations might be revised or reinterpreted, new laws, regulations, and permitting requirements might be adopted or become applicable to us, our rigs, our customers, our vendors, or our service providers, and future changes in laws and regulations could significantly increase our costs and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, we may be required to post additional surety bonds to secure performance, tax, customs, and other obligations relating to our rigs in jurisdictions where bonding requirements are already in effect and in other jurisdictions where we may operate in the future. These requirements would increase the cost of operating in these countries, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. From time to time, new rules, regulations, and requirements regarding oil and gas development have been proposed and implemented by BOEM, BSEE, or the United States Congress, as well as other jurisdictions outside the United States, that could materially limit or prohibit, and increase the cost of, offshore drilling. For example, following a years' long rule making process, both BSEE and BOEM updated and expanded their respective offshore decommissioning financial assurance and bonding requirements. The updated requirements, which were finalized by BSEE in 2023 and BOEM in 2024, are stricter than previous requirements and may increase the costs of operating on the Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM and BSEE could issue new rules relating to well control equipment and operational requirements that fall under their authority in the future. Future actions taken by the United States to limit the availability of new oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, or delays imposed by or resulting from compliance with permits, laws, regulations, or litigation would adversely impact the offshore oil and gas industry and impact demand for our services. We are also subject to increasing regulatory requirements and scrutiny in certain jurisdictions and other countries, including the North Sea. New rules, regulations, and requirements, including the adoption of new safety requirements and policies relating to the approval of drilling permits, restrictions on oil and gas development and production activities in the US Gulf and elsewhere, implementation of safety and environmental management systems, mandatory third-party compliance audits, and the promulgation of numerous Notices to Lessees or similar new regulatory requirements outside of the United States, may impact our operations by causing increased costs, delays, and operational restrictions. If new regulations, policies, operating procedures, and the possibility of increased legal liability resulting from the adoption or amendment of rules and regulations applicable to our operations in the United States or other jurisdictions are viewed by our current or future customers as a significant impairment to expected profitability on projects, then they could discontinue or curtail their offshore operations in the impacted region, thereby, adversely affecting our operations by limiting drilling opportunities or resulting in materially increased costs. Finally, many scientists have concluded that increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth's atmosphere and climate change may produce significant physical effects on weather conditions, such as increased frequency and severity of droughts, storms, floods, and other climatic events. If any such effects were to occur, they could adversely affect or delay demand for the oil or natural gas produced or cause us to incur significant costs in preparing for or responding to the effects of climatic events themselves. Potential adverse effects could include disruption of our and our customers' operations, including, for example, damages to our facilities from winds or floods, increases in our costs of operation, or reductions in the efficiency of our operations, impacts on our personnel, supply chain, or distribution chain, as well as potentially increased costs for insurance coverages in the aftermath of such effects. Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our assets and operations.

Tax returns that we file and/or tax payments that we make will be subject to review and examination. If any tax authority successfully challenges our operational structure, intercompany pricing policies, the taxable presence of our subsidiaries in certain countries, or other material tax positions, if the terms of certain tax treaties are interpreted in a manner that is adverse to our structure, or if we lose a material tax dispute in any country, our effective tax rate on our worldwide earnings, income tax expense, and/or operating expense could increase substantially and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, Noble may have exposures with respect to the tax audits and tax disputes of certain third parties which were under a joint taxation contribution arrangement with certain subsidiaries that Noble acquired in the Business Combination.

In recent years, regulators, investors, and the general public have been giving increasing attention to corporate activities that relate to environmental, social, and governance matters. As part of this, ESG has been advanced by advocacy groups in many jurisdictions where they continue to campaign for governmental and private action in connection with ESG criteria and initiatives, including through the investment and voting practices of individual and institutional investors and investment advisers, public company rating agencies, and others in or connected to the investing community. The attention of advocacy groups and expansion of regulatory requirements regarding ESG performance, commitments, and disclosures, including those relating to climate change and reduction of carbon emissions, is evidenced by initiatives such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as by the new strategy adopted by the International Maritime Organization in July 2023 to advance the prevention and control of marine pollution through the reduction of GHG emissions from ships. Stakeholders and members of the investment community continue to screen and assess companies such as ours for sustainability and ESG performance information measured against the expanded list of ESG metrics advanced by the various ESG standards and ESG ratings sources. Within the ESG context, there continues to be a public and governmental concentration on environmental matters as compared to social and governance matters, with a focus on environment related company practices, performance, and compliance, particularly with respect to data on waste stream management, including discharges, emissions, and reduction commitments regarding carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and fluorinated materials in various states of matter. In addition, developments in the law could result in ESG commitments and disclosures being subjected to increased scrutiny. If we are unable to positively manage our ESG performance, effectively administer our ESG tracking and reporting, clearly communicate our ESG strategy and commitments and meet publicly disclosed targets such as our goal to reduce carbon intensity by 20% by 2030 (as defined in our disclosures), we could experience additional costs and financial penalties, increased scrutiny from the investment community, special interest groups, and enforcement authorities, miss or be excluded from business opportunities, have delayed or cancelled projects, experience a reduction in our equity share price, or encounter limitations to our access to financing or capital, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, earnings, cash flows, and financial condition.

Our business, financial condition, results of operations, access to capital markets, and borrowing costs may be adversely affected by a major natural disaster or catastrophic event, including civil unrest, geopolitical instability, war, terrorist attacks, pandemics, or other (actual or threatened) public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak, or other events beyond our control, and measures taken in response thereto. Acts of terrorism and social unrest, brought about by world political events or otherwise, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Middle East conflicts, and the Guyana-Venezuela dispute, and their respective regional and global ramifications, have caused instability in the world's financial and insurance markets in the past and may occur in the future. Such acts could be directed against companies such as ours. In addition, acts of terrorism, piracy, and social unrest could lead to increased volatility in prices for crude oil and natural gas and could affect the markets for drilling services. Insurance premiums could increase and coverage may be unavailable in the future. Government regulations may effectively preclude us from engaging in business activities in certain countries. These regulations could be amended to cover countries where we currently operate or where we may wish to operate in the future. Our drilling contracts do not generally provide indemnification against loss of capital assets or loss of revenues resulting from acts of terrorism, piracy, or political or social unrest. We have limited insurance for our assets providing coverage for physical damage losses resulting from risks, such as terrorist acts, piracy, vandalism, sabotage, civil unrest, expropriation, and acts of war, and we do not carry insurance for loss of revenues resulting from such risks. Public health emergencies have created and may in the future create, significant volatility and uncertainty and economic and financial market disruption. Governmental authorities implemented, and may implement in the future, numerous measures attempting to contain and mitigate the effects of pandemics and outbreaks, including travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders, and shutdowns. Due to travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine measures, we experienced, and may in the future experience again, increased difficulties, delays, and expenses in moving our personnel to and from our operating locations. We may be unable to pass these increased expenses to our customers. Further, we have previously, and may in the future have to, temporarily shut down operations of one or more of our rigs if there is a pandemic, outbreak, or other public health emergency or vacancies of essential positions due to related infections, which could have a material negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Additionally, disruptions to the ability of our suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers to supply labor, parts, equipment, or services in the jurisdictions in which we operate, whether as a result of government actions, labor shortages, travel restrictions, the inability to source labor, parts or equipment from affected locations, or other effects related to pandemics, outbreaks or other public health emergencies, have increased our operating costs and the risk of rig downtime and negatively impacted our ability to meet commitments to customers and may do so in the future.

We may experience currency exchange losses when revenues are received or expenses are paid in nonconvertible currencies, when we do not hedge an exposure to a foreign currency, when the result of a hedge is a loss or if any counterparty to our hedge were to experience financial difficulties. We may also incur losses as a result of an inability to collect revenues due to a shortage of convertible currency available to the country of operation, controls over currency exchange or controls over the repatriation of income or capital.

Demand for drilling services depends on a variety of economic and political factors and the level of activity in offshore oil and gas exploration and development and production markets around the world. The price of oil and gas and market anticipation of potential changes in the price, significantly affect this level of activity, as well as dayrates that we can charge customers for our services. Crude oil prices remain volatile; for example, Brent crude reached a low of $9.12 in 2020 and a 5-year high of $133.18 in 2022. Higher prices do not necessarily translate into increased drilling activity because our customers typically take into account a number of considerations when they decide to invest in offshore oil and gas resources, including expectations regarding future commodity prices and demand for hydrocarbons. While the price of oil and gas remains volatile, the level of activity in offshore oil and gas exploration and development can be extremely volatile and can be affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including: ?worldwide production, current demand, and our customer's views of future demand for oil and gas;?changes in the rate of economic growth in the global economy;?the cost of exploring for, developing, producing, and delivering oil and gas;?the ability of OPEC and OPEC+ to set and maintain production levels and pricing;?expectations regarding future energy prices;?increased supply of oil and gas resulting from onshore hydraulic fracturing activity and shale development;?the relative cost of offshore oil and gas exploration versus onshore oil and gas production;?potential acceleration in the investment, development, and the price and availability of alternative fuels or energy sources;?allocation of capital to exploration and production operations within customers' broader portfolios;?the level of production in non-OPEC+ countries;?inventory levels and the cost and availability of storage and transportation of oil, gas, and their related products;?worldwide financial instability or recessions;?regulatory restrictions or any moratorium on offshore drilling or the availability of offshore lease or concession areas;?the discovery rate of new oil and gas reserves either onshore or offshore;?the rate of decline of existing and new oil and gas reserves;?available pipeline and other oil and gas transportation capacity;?oil refining capacity;?the ability of oil and gas companies to raise capital;?limitations on liquidity and available credit;?advances in exploration, development, and production technology either onshore or offshore;?technical advances affecting energy consumption, including the displacement of hydrocarbons;?merger, acquisition, and divestiture activity among oil and gas industry participants;?the availability of, and access to, suitable locations from which hydrocarbons can be produced;?adverse weather and sea conditions, including hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, winter storms, and rough seas;?the occurrence or threat of a major natural disaster, catastrophic event, epidemic, or pandemic diseases, as well as any governmental response to such occurrence or threat;?changes in and compliance with tax laws, regulations, and policies;?changes in and compliance with environmental laws, regulations, and other initiatives, including those involving alternative energy sources, the phase-out of fossil fuel consuming vehicles, and the risks of global climate change;?the political environment of oil-producing countries or regions, including uncertainty or instability resulting from civil disorder, geopolitical instability, border disputes, or an outbreak or escalation of armed hostilities or acts of war or terrorism, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Middle East conflicts, and the Guyana-Venezuela dispute, and their respective regional and global ramifications; and ?the laws, regulations, and policies of governments regarding exploration and development of their oil and gas reserves or speculation regarding future laws or regulations. Adverse developments affecting the industry as a result of factors such as those listed above, including a decline in the price of oil and gas from their current levels or the failure of the price of oil and gas to consistently remain at or above a level that encourages our customers to expand their capital spending, the inability of our customers to access capital on economically advantageous terms, including as a result of the increasing focus on climate change by investors, a global recession, reduced demand for oil and gas products, or a perception that the demand for hydrocarbons will significantly decrease, increased supply due to the development of new onshore drilling and production technologies, and increased regulation of drilling and production, particularly if several developments were to occur in a short period of time, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. However, increases in near-term commodity prices do not necessarily translate into increased offshore drilling activity because customers' expectations of longer-term future commodity prices and expectations regarding future demand for hydrocarbons typically have a greater impact on demand for our rigs. The level of oil and gas prices has had, and may in the future have, a material effect on demand for our services, and future declines in prices would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.