Noble Energy Becomes Founding Partner of Educational Program with CTCS

PROVIDED BY NOBLE ENERGY
March 26, 2014

MEDIA CONTACT
Stacey Brodak: sbrodak@nobleenergyinc.com; 724-249-3841

Noble Energy Becomes Founding Partner of Educational Program with CTCS
$250,000 Investment Furthers Commitment to Education,
Funds Equipment, Scholarships and Internships

Fairmont, W. Va. – Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) today announced that it will become a founding partner, with the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (WVCTCS), of the new West Virginia Community College Petroleum Tech Program. As a founding partner, Noble Energy will invest $250,000 as a one-time donation in the institution’s one-year certifications and two-year degree programs focused on shale exploration and production. The WVCTCS program is one of only 14 in the United States.

The announcement was made at an event in Charleston, WV. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Gary Willingham, senior vice president of Noble Energy’s Onshore Region were joined by the administrators and students of Pierpont Community and Technical College and West Virginia Northern Community College to celebrate the announcement. Both schools are offering the new program.

“Education and workforce development are essential when competing for economic development opportunities,” Gov. Tomblin said. “Our community and technical colleges have stepped up to the task of giving companies investing in West Virginia the opportunity to grow with a skilled workforce – developing real-world curriculum to meet the needs of new businesses. Collaborations between industry and education, like this one between Noble Energy and the Community Technical College System of West Virginia, are essential in preparing our students with skilled training to meet the needs of new business in the Mountain State. These partnerships and the education reforms underway in West Virginia are vital to continued workforce development programs.”

Noble Energy’s contribution will help participating schools purchase equipment for hands-on training; offer scholarships; and fund recruiting efforts to attract students to the program from around the region. In addition, Noble Energy will offer internships to students enrolled in the program; provide field tours of operations and facilities; and offer employee expertise in the classroom.

“We worked with CTCS to develop this partnership to further the company’s purpose - Energizing the World, Bettering People’s Lives. The grant helps students achieve the knowledge and skills needed to participate in the region’s growing job opportunities in natural gas exploration and production,” said Willingham. “We intend to continue our trend of hiring locally and this program helps build and maintain a pipeline of trained, skilled graduates who will be prepared to work in this industry, in this region, for many years to come.”

"This contribution from Noble Energy is a great example of how an industry recognizes and rewards a community college who ‘gets it right,’” Pierpont Community & Technical College President Dr. Doreen Larson said. “The Chancellor facilitated deep research with local and national industries and the Petroleum Technology curriculum was developed to serve the program, rather than trying to fit the program into some existing curriculum. The family of students, staff and faculty of Pierpont truly appreciate this gift from Noble Energy and we pledge to put every dime and dollar to good use."

“Noble Energy’s generous gift is an investment in the region’s future by supporting community colleges as they train skilled workers for the oil and gas industry,” said WVNCC President Martin J. Olshinsky. “Growth in the region is dependent on such strong partnerships between job creators and the institutions providing training. The end result is successful college graduates taking advantage of the state’s increased job opportunities.”
In the Marcellus Shale region, Noble Energy’s core operational and exploratory area is in Marshall, Tyler, Doddridge, Gilmer and Ritchie counties in West Virginia and Washington and Greene counties in Pennsylvania. Since commencing operations in the Marcellus Shale in 2012, more than 85 percent of Noble Energy’s Marcellus employees were hired regionally.

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Noble Energy is a leading independent energy company engaged in worldwide oil and gas exploration and production. The Company has core operations onshore in the U.S., primarily in the DJ Basin and Marcellus Shale; in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico; offshore Eastern Mediterranean; and offshore West Africa. Noble Energy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol NBL. Further information is available at www.nobleenergyinc.com.