Responsible Business
Field trip to Noble drillship engages next-generation workforce
Students from the University of Texas experienced offshore drilling firsthand, gaining valuable insights into a high-tech, safety-focused industry.
A conversation at an industry conference led to a unique learning experience for petroleum engineering students from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin and for Noble.
In October 2024, students spent a day on the Noble Globetrotter II drillship, warm-stacked off of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Seeing the equipment, drill floor and living areas firsthand opened their eyes to the high-tech, safety-focused world of offshore drilling and insights into daily life on the vessel and industry careers.
For Noble, hosting future engineering talent provided an opportunity to spark interest in offshore drilling careers and showcase the company’s commitment to innovation and safety. Following the visit, Noble extended onshore and offshore internship offers to several students inspired by what they saw and learned.
students, including 12 women, with specific interest in the drilling industry participated in the field trip.
The idea for the field trip grew out of a conversation between a Noble Offshore Improvement Manager and a professor in the UT Austin Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at the 2024 IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference. Both recognized the value of demonstrating that offshore drilling can be a fulfilling career choice.
The professor selected 19 students, including 12 women, from 100 applicants in his undergraduate drilling class, prioritizing those who expressed specific interest in the drilling industry.
The visit on Noble Globetrotter II started with Noble’s onboarding, including training on emergency procedures and PPE. The students observed the riser system, moonpool, BOP and other rig components and systems, and visited the drill floor to learn about the rig’s autotripping system. Because the rig was stacked, they had exclusive access to areas typically off-limits when the rig is operational.
“I hope the industry as a whole looks at something like this and sees how easily it can be done. We should also tap more into the potential of our crews by having them talk to prospective students who want to work in our industry. On the visit, they proved to be very effective ambassadors of our industry because of their authenticity.”
— Robert van Kuilenburg
Offshore Improvement Manager
As part of the living quarters tour, students received mock cabin assignments, ate in the galley, and spoke with crew members about their jobs and careers. The experience gave students a deeper appreciation of Noble’s efforts to supporting its workforce.
Noble continues to look for innovative ways to help us attract our next-generation workforce.
Noble 2024 Sustainability Report
For a deeper dive, explore the full PDF report with more extensive insights and details.
