Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
STOVER DAVID L
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NOBLE ENERGY INC [NBL]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
President & COO
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
100 GLENBOROUGH DRIVE, SUITE 100
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/01/2011
(Street)

HOUSTON, TX 77067
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Noble Energy, Inc. Common Stock 02/01/2011   A   19,910 (1) A $ 0 117,245 D  
Noble Energy, Inc. Common Stock 02/01/2011   F   8,430 (3) D $ 90.41 108,815 D  
Noble Energy, Inc. Common Stock 02/01/2011   F   1,666 (4) D $ 90.41 107,149 D  

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option Grant (right to buy) $ 90.41 02/01/2011   A   48,741   02/01/2012(2) 02/01/2021 Noble Energy, Inc. Common Stock 48,741 $ 0 48,741 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
STOVER DAVID L
100 GLENBOROUGH DRIVE, SUITE 100
HOUSTON, TX 77067
      President & COO  

Signatures

 Arnold J. Johnson, Attorney-in-Fact   02/03/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Restricted shares of Noble Energy, Inc. Common Stock subject to vesting 20% after year one, an additional 30% after year two and the final 50% after year three, granted under the 1992 Stock Option and Restricted Stock Plan.
(2) Options vest 1/3 each year for three years.
(3) This reported transaction reflects shares relinquished to Noble Energy, Inc. by the reporting person out of, and to cover estimated tax witholding for, restricted shares granted on February 1, 2008, and vesting on February 1, 2011. The stock price reflected in Table I Column 4 was determined based on "fair market value," defined in the Noble Energy, Inc. 1992 Stock Option and Restricted Stock Plan as the average of the reported high and low trading price of Noble Energy, Inc. common stock on the NYSE on February 1, 2011.
(4) This reported transaction reflects shares relinquished to Noble Energy, Inc. by the reporting person out of, and to cover estimated tax witholding for, restricted shares granted on February 1, 2010, and vesting on February 1, 2011. The stock price reflected in Table I Column 4 was determined based on "fair market value," defined in the Noble Energy, Inc. 1992 Stock Option and Restricted Stock Plan as the average of the reported high and low trading price of Noble Energy, Inc. common stock on the NYSE on February 1, 2011.
 
Remarks:
Column 5 of Table 1 includes 56,489 restricted shares of Noble Energy, Inc. Common Stock directly held by the reporting person.

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