Noble Corp. Agrees to Pay $12.2 Million In Settlement Over Rigs in Arctic Waters

Noble Corp. agreed to pay $12.2 million to settle a U.S. Justice Department investigation after two drilling rigs used in Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s search for oil in Arctic waters broke free.

The settlement arises from issues found during the U.S. Coast Guard’s inspection of the Noble Discoverer after it slipped its mooring and drifted toward shore in July 2012. The Kulluk, owned by Shell and manned by employees of London-based Noble, broke free of a tow boat during a storm in December 2012, forcing crew members to evacuate. Noble took responsibility for recordkeeping problems on the Kulluk.

The U.S. ...