NOBLE DRILLING CORP. ACQUIRES MAURER ENGINEERING INC.

Noble Drilling Corp. (NYSE: NE) has acquired Maurer Engineering Inc., a privately held engineering firm based in Houston, for undisclosed terms. Since its inception in 1974, Maurer Engineering has successfully designed a number of innovative drilling products and drilling-related software programs, the Houston offshore drilling contractor said last week. It plans to retain all of Maurer Engineering's employees, including its founders, William C. Maurer and William J. McDonald. After the acquisition, Maurer Engineering will be integrated with Noble's drilling technology subsidiary, Noble Engineering and Development Limited, which focuses on developing drilling products and solutions to enhance drilling efficiency. "Maurer is a well recognized engineering firm in the oil and gas sector," Noble Drilling Chairman James C. Day observed. "As drilling costs have risen, our clients have sought technologies and services to improve performance. Maurer has developed very creative solutions to improve overall well-site efficiencies."