The Alaska U.S. District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that a plea deal has been reached between the federal government and Noble Drilling for incidents involving the drill ship Noble Discoverer and drill barge Kulluk while under contract with Shell Oil during the 2012 arctic drilling season.
As part of the agreement, Noble Drilling has agreed to plead guilty to eight felony offenses, and will pay $12.2 million in fines, which are a combination of criminal fines and community service payments.
The charges are a result of a U.S. Coast Guard investigation, following an inspection of the Noble Discoverer in Seward. During the investigation, the Coast Guard found a number of maintenance and record-keeping issues.
In a written statement, Noble Drilling says it has already begun enhancing training programs and compliance policies, as well as mechanical and operational upgrades to the Noble Discoverer.
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