Responsible Business
Storm season preparedness: Advanced risk management supports resilience
Safeguarding people, assets, and customer operations is central to Noble’s responsible and resilient operating approach.
The capabilities of our offshore teams, the Extreme Weather Monitoring (EWM) system, and Noble Operational Risk Management Support (NORMS) work together as an integrated structure intended to anticipate, manage, and respond to the challenges of storm season. Actual results may vary based on storm characteristics and operational conditions.
While Noble has invested in the technology-driven EWM tool, its effectiveness also depends on stakeholder understanding and the policy framework that governs storm-response decisions. Consistent engagement by offshore crews, shoreside support functions, and leadership helps ensure that data-driven guidance is interpreted and applied appropriately. NORMS aims to reinforce this discipline by bridging technology and policy, strengthening organizational alignment, and promoting consistent execution across the fleet. Outcomes depend on timely data availability, training, and operational constraints.
NORMS is a specialized operational support resource during storm season that is designed to enhance consistency, discipline, and shared learning across the fleet. Through the expertise of seasoned drilling, marine, and technical leaders, NORMS captures lessons learned from individual rigs and distributes this knowledge across the organization. While operational authority remains with each rig, NORMS supports informed decision-making through after-action reviews, improved alignment between offshore and onshore teams, and the promotion of best practices designed to enhance storm-season readiness.
“Storm‑season preparedness is about how people, technology, and judgment come together. By combining advanced forecasting tools with disciplined decision‑making and shared learning across offshore and onshore teams, we work to reduce uncertainty and support timely actions that help protect our people, assets, and customer operations.”
— Thad Fendley Director Marine Assurance and Operations, Operational Integrity
As part of Noble’s risk-management framework, the EWM tool provides probabilistic guidance based on available data and forecasting inputs during severe weather events. By integrating real-time rig GPS data, operational planning information, and advanced forecasting technology, the tool offers a geographic visualization that aims to reduce uncertainty in stay-or-leave decisions. This supports timely actions to protect people and assets. The tool’s manual storm-simulation capability enables flexible training opportunities; simulations are training aids and do not replicate all real-world conditions. It does not eliminate uncertainty or provide guarantees.
To maintain scientific rigor, Noble continues to review and integrate the latest National Hurricane Center storm data into the software to inform calculations with current and credible meteorological information. In parallel, Noble monitors and incorporates relevant regulatory updates, embedding that guidance into established processes. Integration timelines and applicability may vary by jurisdiction and operational context.
Training is essential to maintaining readiness, which is why NORMS coordinates recurring fleetwide EWM exercises. Noble conducts periodic weather simulations that require real-time evasion and/or evacuation decision making, preparing offshore crews and shoreside support functions for hurricane and cyclone seasons. Participation and frequency may vary by rig and region.
The Noble Operational Risk Management Support (NORMS) center was launched in October 2023.
Continuous improvement through simulation
The April 2025 simulation refreshed critical skills, collected feedback, and informed improvements before peak storm season. Leadership emphasizes that readiness cannot be assumed; it must be tested and verified through repeated, realistic exercises. A simulation is currently planned for 2026, subject to change based on operational needs, regulatory guidance, and weather activity, to help teams validate preparedness and address gaps before peak activity.
Through advanced digital systems, periodic simulation-based training, ongoing data and regulatory updates, and a culture shaped by shared expertise, Noble aims to support people and operations in remaining protected, prepared, and resilient to the extent practicable during storm season.
Noble 2025 Sustainability Report
For a deeper dive, explore the full PDF report with more extensive insights and details.
