The company suspended the well operations in June last year as a result of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium.
Located in 6,500ft of water, the Santiago exploration well had previously drilled to a depth of 13,585ft at the time of the moratorium.
Noble Energy is expected to resume drilling operations in late March 2011, targeting total drilling depth of about 19,000ft.
Santiago is a middle Miocene amplitude prospect on Mississippi Canyon Block 519.
Noble Energy is the operator of the prospect with a 23.25% working interest.
