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(11)

EP 3 268 537 A1

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(43) Date of publication: 17.01.2018 Bulletin 2018/03 (21) Application number: 15884837.4 (22) Date of filing: 09.03.2015

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  E02B 17/08(2006.01) B63B 35/44(2006.01) E21B 15/02(2006.01) (86) International application number: PCT/US2015/019348 (87) International publication number: WO 2016/144307 (15.09.2016 Gazette 2016/37)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Designated Extension States: BA ME Designated Validation States: MA (71) Applicant: Noble Drilling Services, Inc. Sugar Land, TX 77478 (US)	(72) Inventors: DEUL, Hans, H.J. Richmond, TX 77406 (US) O'NEILL, Patrick Houston, TX 77024 (US) (74) Representative: Meyer, Thorsten  Meyer Patentanwaltskanzlei Pfarrer-Schultes-Weg 14 89077 Ulm 89077 Ulm (DE)