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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


NOBLE ENERGY, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  73-0785597
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

100 Glenborough, Suite 100
Houston, Texas
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

77067
(Zip Code)


Amended and Restated Patina Oil & Gas Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan for Select
Employees as adopted May 1, 1996 and amended as of September 30, 1997
and further amended as of August 1, 2001

Patina Oil & Gas Corporation 1996 Employee Stock Option Plan

Patina Oil & Gas Corporation Profit Sharing & 401(k) Plan

Patina Oil & Gas Corporation 1996 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors
(Full title of the plans)


Chris Tong
Chief Financial Officer
Noble Energy, Inc.
100 Glenborough, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77067
(Name and address of agent for service)
(281) 872-3100
(Telephone number, including
area code, of agent for service)
  Copy to:
Frank Bayouth
Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom LLP
1600 Smith, Suite 4400
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 655-5100


CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


Title of securities to be registered
  Amount to
be registered(1)

  Proposed maximum
offering price
per share(2)

  Proposed maximum
aggregate
offering price(2)

  Amount of
registration fee


Common Stock, $3.331/3 par value per share   2,346,218 shares(2)   $59.63   $139,899,452   $16,467

(1)
Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, shares issuable upon any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction with respect to these shares are also being registered hereunder.

(2)
Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), on the basis of the average price at which the options to purchase shares of the Registrant's common stock may be exercised.





PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

        The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents:

        All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall also be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the dates of filing such documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statements so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement. Upon the written or oral request of any person to whom a copy of this Registration Statement has been delivered, the Registrant will provide without charge to such person a copy of any and all documents (excluding exhibits thereto unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into such documents) that have been incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement but not delivered herewith. Requests for such documents should be directed to Noble Energy, Inc., 100 Glenborough Drive, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77067-3610, Attention: Secretary, telephone (281) 872-3100.

Item 4. Description of Securities

        Not Applicable

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

        Not Applicable

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

        The Registrant is a Delaware corporation. Under Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Registrant has the power to indemnify its directors and officers, subject to certain limitations.

        Reference is made to Article VI of the Bylaws of the Registrant as currently in effect, which provides for indemnification of directors and officers of the Registrant under certain circumstances. The Registrant has entered into an indemnity agreement with each of the directors and bylaw officers

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of the Registrant, which provides certain protections to such persons against legal claims and related expenses.

        The form of the indemnity agreements entered into between the Registrant and each of the Registrant's directors and bylaw officers is filed as Exhibit 10.18 to the Registrant's Annual Report of Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995.

        Pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant limits the personal liability of the directors of the Registrant to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty under certain circumstances.

        The Registrant also maintains insurance to protect itself and its directors, officers, employees and agents against expenses, liabilities and losses incurred by such persons in connection with their service in the foregoing capacities.

        The foregoing summaries are necessarily subject to the complete text of the statute, bylaw, agreement, certificate of incorporation and insurance policy referred to above and are qualified in their entirety by reference thereto.

Item 8. Exhibits

        In addition to the exhibits incorporated herein by reference to the exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference into the Prior Registration Statement, the following documents are filed as exhibits to this Registration Statement:

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Item 9 Undertakings

        The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

        (1)   To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

        (2)   That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

        (3)   To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering; and

        (4)   That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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        Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described under Item 6 above, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on May 16, 2005.

    NOBLE ENERGY, INC.

 

 

By:

/s/  
CHARLES D. DAVIDSON      
Name: Charles D. Davidson
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
  Title
  Date

 

 

 

 

 
/s/  CHARLES D. DAVIDSON      
Charles D. Davidson
  Chairman of the Board, President
and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer), Director
  May 16, 2005

/s/  
CHRIS TONG      
Chris Tong

 

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)

 

May 16, 2005

/s/  
MICHAEL A. CAWLEY      
Michael A. Cawley

 

Director

 

May 16, 2005

/s/  
KIRBY L. HEDRICK      
Kirby L. Hedrick

 

Director

 

May 16, 2005

/s/  
BRUCE A. SMITH      
Bruce A. Smith

 

Director

 

May 16, 2005

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

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QuickLinks

Amended and Restated Patina Oil & Gas Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan for Select Employees as adopted May 1, 1996 and amended as of September 30, 1997 and further amended as of August 1, 2001
Patina Oil & Gas Corporation 1996 Employee Stock Option Plan
Patina Oil & Gas Corporation Profit Sharing & 401(k) Plan
Patina Oil & Gas Corporation 1996 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors (Full title of the plans)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
SIGNATURES
INDEX TO EXHIBITS