Organization and Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization and Basis of Presentation	Note 1— Organization and Basis of Presentation Noble Corporation plc, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (“Noble-UK”), is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. We perform contract drilling services with our global fleet of mobile offshore drilling units. As of June 30, 2017, our fleet consisted of 14 jackups, eight drillships and six semisubmersibles. We report our contract drilling operations as a single reportable segment, Contract Drilling Services, which reflects how we manage our business, and the fact that all of our drilling fleet is dependent upon the worldwide oil and gas industry. The mobile offshore drilling units comprising our offshore rig fleet operate in a global market for contract drilling services and are often redeployed to different regions due to changing demands of our customers, which consist largely of major independent and government-owned or controlled oil and gas companies throughout the world. As of June 30, 2017, our contract drilling services segment conducted operations in the United States, the North Sea, the Middle East and Asia. Noble and its predecessors have been engaged in the contract drilling of oil and gas wells since 1921. Noble Corporation, a Cayman Islands company (“Noble-Cayman”), is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Noble-UK, our publicly-traded parent company. Noble-UK’s principal asset is all of the shares of Noble-Cayman. Noble-Cayman has no public equity outstanding. The condensed consolidated financial statements of Noble-UK include the accounts of Noble-Cayman, and Noble-UK conducts substantially all of its business through Noble-Cayman and its subsidiaries. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Noble-UK and Noble-Cayman have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as they pertain to Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods, on a basis consistent with the annual audited condensed consolidated financial statements. All such adjustments are of a recurring nature. The December 31, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets presented herein are derived from the December 31, 2016 audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed by both Noble-UK and Noble-Cayman. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. In accordance with our adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-9, prior period excess tax benefits of approximately $5.5 million, previously classified as a financing activity in “Employee stock transactions” on the June 30, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, are now classified as an operating activity in “Net change in other assets and liabilities” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the comparative period. Prior period shares withheld for taxes on employee stock transactions of approximately $3.2 million, previously classified as an operating activity in “Net change in other assets and liabilities" on the June 30, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, are now classified as a financing activity in “Employee stock transactions” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the comparative period.

Note 1— Organization and Basis of Presentation

Noble Corporation plc, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (“Noble-UK”), is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. We perform contract drilling services with our global fleet of mobile offshore drilling units. As of June 30, 2017, our fleet consisted of 14 jackups, eight drillships and six semisubmersibles.

We report our contract drilling operations as a single reportable segment, Contract Drilling Services, which reflects how we manage our business, and the fact that all of our drilling fleet is dependent upon the worldwide oil and gas industry. The mobile offshore drilling units comprising our offshore rig fleet operate in a global market for contract drilling services and are often redeployed to different regions due to changing demands of our customers, which consist largely of major independent and government-owned or controlled oil and gas companies throughout the world. As of June 30, 2017, our contract drilling services segment conducted operations in the United States, the North Sea, the Middle East and Asia. Noble and its predecessors have been engaged in the contract drilling of oil and gas wells since 1921.

Noble Corporation, a Cayman Islands company (“Noble-Cayman”), is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Noble-UK, our publicly-traded parent company. Noble-UK’s principal asset is all of the shares of Noble-Cayman. Noble-Cayman has no public equity outstanding. The condensed consolidated financial statements of Noble-UK include the accounts of Noble-Cayman, and Noble-UK conducts substantially all of its business through Noble-Cayman and its subsidiaries.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Noble-UK and Noble-Cayman have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as they pertain to Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods, on a basis consistent with the annual audited condensed consolidated financial statements. All such adjustments are of a recurring nature. The December 31, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets presented herein are derived from the December 31, 2016 audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed by both Noble-UK and Noble-Cayman. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. In accordance with our adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-9, prior period excess tax benefits of approximately $5.5 million, previously classified as a financing activity in “Employee stock transactions” on the June 30, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, are now classified as an operating activity in “Net change in other assets and liabilities” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the comparative period. Prior period shares withheld for taxes on employee stock transactions of approximately $3.2 million, previously classified as an operating activity in “Net change in other assets and liabilities" on the June 30, 2016 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, are now classified as a financing activity in “Employee stock transactions” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the comparative period.