Noble Energy Updates on Leviathan Drilling Operations (Israel)

Noble Energy, Inc. announced today that it has ended drilling operations at the Leviathan #2 appraisal well location, offshore Israel.

During the drilling process, the Company identified water flowing to the sea floor from the wellbore. The source is a water sand that flowed behind the surface casing. It has been monitored closely and there are no indications of any hydrocarbons in the produced water. Drilling in the Leviathan #2 well had not yet reached the depth of the targeted gas intervals discovered in the Leviathan #1 well.

The Company has concluded that the current location and wellbore are unsuitable for continued drilling operations. As such, Noble Energy plans to relocate the drilling rig to a nearby location where it will resume the Leviathan natural gas appraisal drilling program.

Noble Energy operates Leviathan, offshore Israel in the Rachel and Amit licenses, with a 39.66 percent working interest. Other interest owners are Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration with 22.67 percent each and Ratio Oil Exploration with the remaining 15 percent.

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Source: Noble Energy, May 16, 2011;