Noble Corporation Announces Resignation of Chief Executive Officer

    SUGAR LAND, Texas, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of
 Directors of Noble Corporation ( NE) announced today that Mark A.
 Jackson has resigned from the positions of Chairman of the Board, President
 and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The Board has appointed
 William A. Sears, a director of the Company since January 1998, to serve as
 Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer on an interim
 basis. Mr. Sears has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas
 industry and retired from his position as Director of Operations for
 British Petroleum Exploration in 1997, after serving with them in various
 positions since 1983.
     The Board of Directors has formed a search committee to review internal
 and external candidates to fill the President and Chief Executive Officer
 position on a permanent basis.
     Noble Corporation is a leading provider of diversified services for the
 oil and gas industry. The Company performs contract drilling services with
 a fleet of 62 mobile offshore drilling units located in key markets
 worldwide, including the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Middle East, Mexico, the
 North Sea, Brazil, West Africa and India. The fleet count includes five
 rigs under construction.
     Additional information on Noble Corporation is available via the
 worldwide web at http://www.noblecorp.com.
 
 

SOURCE Noble Corporation