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Acquisitions and Divestitures
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Business Combination and Asset Acquisition [Abstract]  
Acquisitions and Divestitures
Note 4— Acquisitions and Divestitures
Business Combination with Maersk Drilling
Noble’s business strategy in part includes growing by acquisition and as a result, we pursue and complete mergers, acquisitions, as well as dispositions of businesses or assets or other strategic transactions that we believe will enable us to strengthen or broaden our business and achieve various efficiencies, cost-synergies and economies of scale. This strategy is evidenced by the 2021 Pacific Drilling Merger (as defined herein) and the Business Combination with Maersk Drilling completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.
On the Merger Effective Date, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, Noble Cayman merged with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Noble, and (i) each Noble Cayman Share issued and outstanding prior to the Merger Effective Time was converted into one newly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Share of Noble and (ii) each Noble Cayman Warrant (as defined herein) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time was converted automatically into a warrant to acquire a number of Ordinary Shares equal to the number of Noble Cayman Shares underlying such warrant, with the same terms as were in effect immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time under the terms of the applicable Noble Cayman Warrant Agreement (as defined herein) (collectively, the “Warrants”). In addition, each award of restricted share units representing the right to receive Noble Cayman Shares, or value based on the value of Noble Cayman Shares (each, a “Noble Cayman RSU Award”), outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time ceased to represent a right to acquire Noble Cayman Shares (or value equivalent to Noble Cayman Shares) and was converted into the right to acquire, on the same terms and conditions as were applicable under the Noble Cayman RSU Award (including any vesting conditions), that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the number of Noble Cayman Shares subject to such Noble Cayman RSU Award immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time. As a result of the Merger, Noble became the ultimate parent of Noble Cayman and its respective subsidiaries effective as of the Merger Effective Time.

On the Closing Date, pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, Noble completed the Offer and because Noble acquired more than 90% of the issued and outstanding Maersk Drilling Shares, Noble redeemed all remaining Maersk Drilling Shares not exchanged in the Offer for, at the election of the holder, either Ordinary Shares or cash (or, for those holders that do not make an election, only cash), under Danish law by way of the Compulsory Purchase. The Compulsory Purchase was completed in early November 2022, at which time Maersk Drilling became a wholly owned subsidiary of Noble. After the close of the Business Combination, Maersk Drilling was contributed by Noble to Finco in a common control transaction.
In connection with the Offer and the Compulsory Purchase, each Maersk Drilling Share was exchanged for either (i) 1.6137 newly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares (the “Exchange Ratio”), or (ii) cash consideration (payable in DKK). The Offer was subject to a cash consideration cap per Maersk Drilling shareholder of $1,000 and an aggregate cap on cash consideration payable to all Maersk Drilling shareholders of $50 million. Consequently, in relation to the Offer, Maersk Drilling shareholders who elected to receive cash consideration in the Offer received, as applicable, (a) $1,000 for the applicable portion of their Maersk Drilling Shares and the balance of Maersk Drilling Shares in Ordinary Shares in accordance with the Exchange Ratio, or (b) the amount corresponding to the total holding of their Maersk Drilling Shares if such holding of Maersk Drilling Shares represented a value equal to or less than $1,000 in the aggregate. The Compulsory Purchase was not subject to a cash consideration cap per holder or an aggregate cap for cash consideration.
In addition, each Maersk Drilling restricted stock unit award (a “Maersk Drilling RSU Award”) that was outstanding immediately prior to the acceptance time of the Offer (the “Acceptance Time”) was exchanged, at the Acceptance Time, with the right to receive, on the same terms and conditions as were applicable under the Maersk Drilling RSU Long-Term Incentive Programme for Executive Management 2019 and the Maersk Drilling RSU Long-Term Incentive Programme 2019 (including any vesting conditions), that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the product of (1) the number of Maersk Drilling Shares subject to such Maersk Drilling RSU Award immediately prior to the Acceptance Time and (2) the Exchange Ratio, with any fractional Maersk Drilling Shares rounded to the nearest whole share. Upon such exchange, Maersk Drilling RSU Awards ceased to represent a right to receive Maersk Drilling Shares (or value equivalent to Maersk Drilling Shares).
In September 2021, eligible Maersk Drilling employees signed an addendum to their existing service agreements that provides for enhanced severance terms in the event of termination as well as a retention bonus (“Deal Completion Bonus”) to be paid irrespective of termination if a transaction with Noble were to close (the “Retention Addendum”). The Retention Addendum was entered into on September 20, 2021. The Deal Completion Bonus was paid on October 3, 2022 for five Maersk executives terminated immediately upon close and on October 31, 2022 for all other eligible individuals.
Purchase Price Allocation
The Business Combination has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting under ASC Topic 805, Business Combination, with Noble being treated as the accounting acquirer. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the assets and liabilities of Maersk Drilling and its subsidiaries were recorded at their respective fair values on the Closing Date. Total consideration for the acquisition was $2.0 billion, which included $5.6 million in net cash paid and $2.0 billion in non-cash consideration, primarily related to noble shares issued to legacy Maersk shareholders and the replacement of legacy Maersk Drilling RSU Awards.
Determining the fair values of the assets and liabilities of Maersk Drilling and the consideration paid requires judgment and certain assumptions to be made, the most significant of these being related to the valuation of Maersk Drilling’s mobile offshore drilling units and other related tangible assets and the fair value of drilling contracts and other intangibles.
Offshore Drilling Units. The valuation of Maersk Drilling’s mobile offshore drilling units was determined using either (i) the discounted cash flows expected to be generated from the drilling assets over their remaining useful lives or (ii) the cost to replace the drilling assets, as adjusted by the current market for similar offshore drilling assets. Assumptions used in our assessment included, but were not limited to, future marketability of each unit in light of the current market conditions and its current technical specifications, timing of future contract awards and expected operating dayrates, operating costs, rig utilization rates, tax rates, discount rate, capital expenditures, synergies, market values, estimated economic useful lives of the rigs and, in certain cases, our belief that a drilling unit is no longer marketable and is unlikely to return to service in the near to medium term.
Compulsory Purchase. Noble redeemed all of the remaining 4.1 million shares of Maersk Drilling Shares not exchanged in the Offer for, at the election of the holder, either Ordinary Shares or cash (or, for those holders that did not make an election, only cash), as required under Danish law by way of the Compulsory Purchase. The Company recognized the Compulsory Purchase as a redeemable interest at fair value upon the closing of the Business Combination. The Company determined that the fair value of the Compulsory Purchase was $193.7 million utilizing inputs which included Noble share price and cash redemption amount as of the Closing Date. The Compulsory Purchase interest was derecognized in mid-November 2022, with a portion being offset to common stock when 4.1 million Ordinary Shares were issued, additional paid in capital of $123.8 million and the remainder being the amount paid in cash of $69.9 million.
Maersk Drilling Debt. In connection with the Business Combination, the Company guaranteed the DNB Credit Facility and the DSF Credit Facility (both as defined in “Note 9— Debt”). The DSF Credit Facility had a floating interest rate that fluctuated based on market rates, thus fair value approximated the carrying amount. In November 2022, the outstanding loans under
the DNB Credit Facility were fully extinguished at par value with no pre-payment penalties, with fair value approximating the carrying amount, and was replaced with the New DNB Credit Facility (as defined in “Note 9— Debt”). On February 23, 2023 the remaining amount under the DSF Credit Facility was paid in full using cash on hand. For additional information on the credit facilities see “Note 9— Debt”.
Maersk Drilling Off-market Contracts. The Company recorded, with the assistance of external valuation specialists, intangible assets and liabilities from drilling contracts that had favorable and unfavorable terms compared to the current market which were recorded on the Closing Date. The Company recognized the fair value adjustments as off-market contract assets and liabilities, recorded in “Intangible assets” and ”Noncurrent contract liabilities,” respectively.
The following table represents the preliminary allocation of the total purchase price of Maersk Drilling to the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair values as of the Closing Date. In connection with this acquisition, the Company incurred $33.1 million of acquisition related costs during the year ended December 31, 2022. The results of Maersk Drilling operations are included in the Company’s results of operations effective on the Closing Date. The purchase price allocation is preliminary and subject to change. The amounts recognized will be finalized as the information necessary to complete the analysis is obtained, but no later than one year after the Closing Date. Any final adjustment to the valuation could change the fair values assigned to the assets and liabilities, resulting in a change to our consolidated financial statements, including a change to goodwill. Such change could be material.
Purchase price consideration:
Fair value of Noble shares transferred to legacy Maersk shareholders$1,793,351 
Cash paid to legacy Maersk shareholders887 
Fair value of replacement Maersk Drilling RSU Awards attributable to the purchase price6,780 
Deal Completion Bonus6,177 
Fair Value of Compulsory Purchase193,678 
Total purchase price consideration$2,000,873 
Assets acquired:
Cash and cash equivalents$172,205 
Accounts receivable, net250,251 
Taxes receivable20,603 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets41,068 
Total current assets484,127 
Intangible assets22,991 
Property, plant and equipment, net2,756,096 
Other assets69,713 
Total assets acquired3,332,927 
Liabilities assumed:
Current maturities of long-term debt129,130 
Accounts payable130,273 
Accrued payroll and related costs21,784 
Taxes payable38,218 
Interest payable800 
Other current liabilities41,253 
Total current liabilities361,458 
Long-term debt596,692 
Deferred income taxes4,071 
Noncurrent contract liabilities237,703 
Other liabilities158,146 
Total liabilities assumed1,358,070 
Net assets acquired1,974,857 
Goodwill acquired26,016 
Purchase price consideration$2,000,873 
The goodwill of $26.0 million represents the excess of the gross consideration transferred over the fair value of the underlying net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill recognized is
attributable to anticipated synergies expected to arise in connection with the acquisition. All of the goodwill was assigned to our single reporting unit, Contract Drilling Services. The goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes.
Maersk Drilling Revenue and Net Income
The following table represents Maersk Drilling’s revenue and earnings included in Noble’s Consolidated Statements of Operations subsequent to the Closing Date of the Business Combination.
Period From
October 3, 2022
through
December 31, 2022
Revenue$341,490 
Net loss$21,690 
Pro Forma Financial Information
The following unaudited pro forma summary presents the results of operations as if the Business Combination had occurred on February 6, 2021. The pro forma summary uses estimates and assumptions based on information available at the time. Management believes the estimates and assumptions to be reasonable; however, actual results may have differed significantly from this pro forma financial information. The pro forma information does not reflect any synergy savings that might have been achieved from combining the operations and is not intended to reflect the actual results that would have occurred had the companies actually been combined during the periods presented.
Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2022Period from February 6, 2021 through December 31, 2021
Revenue$2,218,117 $1,924,013 
Net income$(34,356)$453,231 
Net income per share
Basic$(0.26)$3.56 
Diluted$(0.26)$3.44 
The pro forma results include, among others, (i) a reduction in Maersk Drilling’s historically reported depreciation expense related to adjustments of property and equipment values (ii) adjustments to reflect certain acquisition related costs incurred directly in connection with the Business Combination as if it had occurred on February 6, 2021, (iii) an adjustment to reflect the gain on sale as if the Rig Transaction (discussed below) had occurred on February 6, 2021 and (iv) net adjustments to increase contract drilling services revenue related to off-market customer contract assets and liabilities recognized in connection with the Business Combination with Maersk Drilling on a pro forma basis.
Rig Transaction
On June 23, 2022, Noble and Shelf Drilling entered into the sale by Noble and the purchase by Shelf Drilling (the “Rig Transaction”) of five jackup rigs known as the Noble Hans Deul, Noble Houston Colbert, Noble Lloyd Noble, Noble Sam Hartley and Noble Sam Turner and all related support and infrastructure (collectively, and together with the related offshore and onshore personnel and related operations, the “Divestment Business”). The Rig Transaction addressed the potential concerns identified by the UK Competition and Markets Authority of the Business Combination and was approved by them in September 2022.
On October 5, 2022, Noble and Shelf Drilling completed the Rig Transaction as part of the Business Combination. In connection with the Rig Transaction, the Divestment Business was transferred by Noble to Shelf Drilling for a purchase price of $375 million in cash which resulted in a gain of $85.1 million. As of the date of the Rig Transaction, Shelf Drilling gained control of the Noble Lloyd Noble. For a transition period following the completion of the Rig Transaction, Noble agreed to continue to operate the Noble Lloyd Noble under operating agreements with Shelf Drilling (the “NLN Charter Agreement”) and to provide certain other transition services to Shelf Drilling. Under the operating agreements, we agreed to remit the collections from our customers under the associated drilling contracts to Shelf Drilling, and Shelf Drilling agreed to reimburse us for our direct costs and expenses incurred while operating the Noble Lloyd Noble on behalf of Shelf Drilling (with certain exceptions).
Pacific Drilling Merger
On April 15, 2021, the Company purchased Pacific Drilling Company LLC (“Pacific Drilling”), an international offshore drilling contractor, in an all-stock transaction (the “Pacific Drilling Merger”). Pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated March 25, 2021, (the “Pacific Drilling Merger Agreement”), (a) each membership interest in Pacific Drilling was converted into the right to receive 6.366 Noble Cayman Shares and (b) each of Pacific Drilling’s warrants outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Pacific Drilling Merger was converted into the right to receive 1.553 Noble Cayman Shares. As part of the transaction, Pacific Drilling’s equity holders received 16.6 million Noble Cayman Shares, or approximately 24.9% of the outstanding Noble Cayman Shares, and Noble Cayman Penny Warrants at closing. In connection with this acquisition, the Company acquired seven floaters and subsequently sold two floaters in June 2021 for net proceeds of $29.7 million. In connection with this acquisition, the Company incurred $15.9 million of acquisition related costs during the period from February 6 through December 31, 2021. The results of Pacific Drilling’s operations are included in the Company’s results of operations effective April 15, 2021.
Purchase Price Allocation
The transaction has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting under ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, with Noble Cayman being treated as the accounting acquirer. As of March 31, 2022, we completed our fair value assessments of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with no changes from our preliminary allocation reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Under the acquisition method of accounting, the assets and liabilities of Pacific Drilling and its subsidiaries have been recorded at their respective fair values as of the date of completion of the Pacific Drilling Merger and added to the Company’s.
Determining the fair values of the assets and liabilities of Pacific Drilling and the consideration paid requires judgment and certain assumptions to be made, the most significant of these being related to the valuation of Pacific Drilling’s mobile offshore drilling units and other related tangible assets and the fair value of the Noble Cayman Shares issued by Noble Cayman. The valuation of the Pacific Drilling’s mobile offshore drilling units was determined by using a combination of (1) the discounted cash flows expected to be generated from the drilling assets over their remaining useful lives and (2) the cost to replace the drilling assets, as adjusted by the current market for similar offshore drilling assets. Assumptions used in our assessment included, but were not limited to, future marketability of each unit in light of the current market conditions and its current technical specifications, timing of future contract awards and expected operating dayrates, operating costs, utilization rates, tax rates, discount rate, capital expenditures, market values, weighting of market values, reactivation costs, estimated economic useful lives and, in certain cases, our belief that a drilling unit is no longer marketable and is unlikely to return to service in the near to medium term. We included an allocation for corporate overhead when calculating the discounted cash flows expected to be generated from our drilling assets over their remaining useful lives. The cash flows were discounted at our WACC, which was derived from a blend of our after-tax cost of debt and our cost of equity, and computed using public share price information for similar offshore drilling market participants, certain US Treasury rates, and certain risk premiums specific to the Company. The inputs and assumptions related to these assets are categorized as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.
As Noble Cayman was not yet trading on the New York Stock Exchange at the time of the Pacific Drilling Merger, the valuation of the Noble Cayman Shares issued by Noble Cayman as consideration required an analysis of the discounted cash flows expected to be generated by the drilling assets of the combined entity. These discounted cash flows were derived utilizing many of the same types of assumptions as were used in the valuation of the Company’s drilling assets at emergence as well the Pacific Drilling assets. In addition, the discounted cash flows of the combined entity considered annual cost saving synergies from the operation of Noble Cayman and Pacific Drilling assets as a single fleet, and were accordingly discounted at a market participant WACC for the combined entity. Lastly, the valuation of the Noble Cayman Shares considered the fair value of debt, warrants and the management incentive plan of the combined entity to arrive at the fair value of common equity. The inputs and assumptions related to the value of Noble Cayman Shares are also categorized as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.
The Pacific Drilling Merger resulted in a gain on bargain purchase due to the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired exceeding the purchase consideration transferred by $62.3 million and is shown as a gain on bargain purchase on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. Management reviewed the Pacific Drilling assets acquired and liabilities assumed as well as the assumptions utilized in estimating their fair values. An adjustment of $2.2 million to the valuation allowance on the deferred tax assets acquired in the Pacific Drilling Merger was recorded in the
three months ended December 31, 2021. Upon completion of our assessment, the Company concluded that recording a gain on bargain purchase was appropriate and required under US GAAP. The bargain purchase was a result of a combination of factors, including a prolonged downturn in the drilling industry which led to challenging fundamentals for many competitors in the offshore drilling sector. The Company believes the seller was motivated to complete the transaction as the emerging market dynamics do not appear to be favorable to smaller rig fleets which operate across multiple regions.
The following table represents the allocation of the total purchase price of Pacific Drilling to the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair values as of the acquisition date.
Consideration:
Pacific Drilling membership interests outstanding2,500 
Exchange Ratio6.366 15,915 
Pacific Drilling warrants outstanding441 
Exchange Ratio1.553 685 
Noble Cayman Shares issued16,600 
Fair value of Noble Cayman Shares on April 15, 2021$21.55 
Total consideration$357,662 
Assets acquired:
Cash and cash equivalents$54,970 
Accounts receivable17,457 
Taxes receivable1,585 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets14,081 
Total current assets88,093 
Property and equipment, net346,167 
Assets held for sale30,063 
Other assets457 
Total assets acquired464,780 
Liabilities assumed:
Accounts payable18,603 
Accrued payroll and related costs16,128 
Taxes payable1,951 
Other current liabilities2,900 
Total current liabilities39,582 
Deferred income taxes798 
Other liabilities4,433 
Total liabilities assumed44,813 
Net assets acquired$419,967 
Gain on bargain purchase62,305 
Purchase price consideration$357,662 
Pacific Drilling Revenue and Net Income
The following table represents Pacific Drilling’s revenue and earnings included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations subsequent to the closing of the Pacific Drilling Merger.
Successor
Period From
February 6, 2021
through
December 31, 2021
Revenue$94,506 
Net loss$(46,646)
Pro Forma Financial Information
The following unaudited pro forma summary presents the results of operations as if the Pacific Drilling Merger had occurred on February 6, 2021. The pro forma summary uses estimates and assumptions based on information available at the time. Management believes the estimates and assumptions to be reasonable; however, actual results may have differed significantly from this pro forma financial information. The pro forma information does not reflect any synergy savings that might have been achieved from combining the operations and is not intended to reflect the actual results that would have occurred had the companies actually been combined during the periods presented.
Successor
Period From
February 6, 2021
through
December 31, 2021
Revenue$792,999 
Net income$69,966 
Net income per share
Basic$1.05 
Diluted$0.98 
The pro forma results include, among others, (i) a reduction in Pacific Drilling’s historically reported depreciation expense for adjustments to property and equipment and (ii) an adjustment to reflect the gain on bargain purchase as if the Pacific Drilling Merger had occurred on February 6, 2021.
Sale of Rigs in Saudi Arabia
On August 25, 2021, Finco and certain subsidiaries of the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Purchase and Sale Agreement”) to sell the jackup rigs operated by the Company in Saudi Arabia to ADES International Holding Limited (“ADES”) for a purchase price of $292.4 million in cash. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the jackups, Noble Roger Lewis, Noble Scott Marks, Noble Joe Knight, and Noble Johnny Whitstine, together with certain related assets, were sold to ADES. The closing of the sale occurred in November 2021, and the Company recognized a gain of $185.9 million, net of transaction costs, in the fourth quarter of 2021 associated with the disposal of these assets.
The Purchase and Sale Agreement also included certain covenants that the Company has agreed to not carry on or be engaged in the operation of jackup drilling rigs in the territorial waters of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Gulf for a term after the closing date of (i) one year for purposes of drilling gas wells and (ii) two years for the purposes of drilling oil wells.