Noble Drilling pleads guilty to violations involving Arctic drillship; will pay $12.2M for violation

WASHINGTON — Noble Drilling pleaded guilty Monday to eight felony charges tied to pollution, propulsion and record keeping problems with the two drilling rigs that bored Arctic oil wells for Shell in 2012.

The company, with major U.S. operations in Sugar Land, will pay $12.2 million to settle alleged violations of marine and environmental laws in connection with those vessels, the Noble-owned drillship Discoverer and the Kulluk, a non-propelled drilling unit owned by Shell. As a Shell contractor, Noble crewed the Kulluk and operated the Discoverer in Arctic waters north of Alaska two years ago.

Although Shell Oil Co. is not facing related legal action, the plea agreement and charges filed in federal court Monday are a fresh reminder of the problems the firm encountered during the 2012 Arctic drilling season and may revive concerns about its oversight of contractors. The deal also is fodder for environmentalists who oppose Arctic drilling, even as Shell seeks to persuade regulators it is ready to resume work in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas next summer.

Most of the violations are tied to the Discoverer, centering on insufficient record keeping, improper handling of bilge water and problems with the drillship’s propulsion system.

Read more: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/12/08/noble-pleads-guilty-to-violations-involving-arctic-drillship/